CHRISTIANITY'S 
STORM,CENTRE 


CHARLES 
STELZLE 


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CHRISTIANITY'S 
STORM     CENTRE 

A  Study  of  the  Modern  City 


BY 

CHARLES   STELZLE 

SUPERINTENDENT    DEPARTMENT    OF    CHURCH    AND    LABOR,  BOARD    OF   MOMK 
MISSIONS,    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    THE    U.  S.  A. 


New  York     Chicago     Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1907,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


SECOND  EDITION 


New  York  :  1 58  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago :  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto  :  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London  :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh  :   100    Princes  Street 


TO  MY  WIFE 

WHOSE  DEVOTION  TO  THE  BEST 
THINGS  IN  LIFE  HAS  BEEN  TO 
ME    A     CONSTANT    INSPIRATION. 


1500281 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


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PREFACE 

It  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  because  there 
is  to-day  "three  times  as  much  social  unrest  as  there 
was  twenty-five  years  ago,"  therefore  social  condi- 
tions are  three  times  as  deplorable.  Rather  is  the 
opposite  true.  No  one  would  think  of  saying  that 
the  present  chaotic  political  state  of  Russia,  for  in- 
stance, indicates  that  the  people  in  that  country  are 
in  a  worse  condition  than  they  were  when  the 
tyranny  of  its  rulers  was  accepted  without  any  man- 
ifestation of  opposition. 

According  to  a  report  of  the  "Missionary  Society 
for  the  Poor  of  New  York  and  Vicinity,"  issued  in 
1817,  there  were  in  the  city  at  that  time  small 
houses  crowded  with  from  four  to  twelve  families 
each,  often  two  or  three  families  in  a  room,  and  of 
"all  colors."  Out  of  a  population  of  110,000,  there 
were  1,489  licensed  retail  liquor  dealers.  Not  less 
than  six  thousand  "abandoned  females"  added  to 
the  vice  and  shame.  Men  who  thrived  on  their  dis- 
honor kept  large  numbers  of  them  practically  slaves. 
In  the  seventh  ward — poor  and  beggared  beyond  de- 
scription— there  were  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
saloons.  Dance  halls  and  dives,  with  "The  Way  to 
Hell"  inscribed  in  glaring  capitals,  were  displayed, 

5 


6  Preface 

twenty  in  the  space  of  thirty  or  forty  rods.  Sunday 
had  become  to  the  people  in  this  part  of  the  city  a 
day  of  idleness  and  drunkenness.  Thousands  passed 
on  Sunday  over  the  ferry  at  Corlear's  Hook  to  Long 
Island, — the  "Coney  Island"  of  that  day.  Ignorance 
and  wretchedness  of  the  worst  description  were  com- 
mon. Proportionately,  social  conditions  in  New 
York  City  are  no  worse  to-day  than  they  were  nearly 
a  hundred  years  ago.  They  have  certainly  been 
vastly  improved  during  the  past  twenty-five  years. 

The  present  social  unrest  is  one  of  the  most  hope- 
ful signs  of  the  times.  It  proves  that  we  have  to-day 
a  higher  standard  of  ethics.  The  struggle  of  this 
generation  is  made  possible  because  of  what  has  al- 
ready been  achieved. 

Social  conditions  in  our  cities  are  still  such  as  to 
give  us  great  concern.  But  the  tendency  is  upward. 
There  are  strong  forces  at  work  which  are  making 
for  better  things.  The  real  danger  is  that  of  mate- 
rialism, and  indifference  to  the  highest  type  of  right- 
eousness. 

The  Church  must  still  deal  with  poverty  and 
wretchedness,  but  its  greatest  problem  is  what  to 
do  with  reference  to  the  so-called  "lower  middle 
class" — ^the  industrial  masses. 

Because  of  this,  I  offer  no  apology  for  devoting  so 
much  space  to  their  interests.  The  problem  of  the 
city  is  largely  an  industrial  problem.  The  economic 
interpretation  of  history  is  meeting  with  increasing 
acceptation.    While  it  is  true  that  religion  has  fre- 


Preface  7 

quently  blazed  its  own  way  regardless  of  economic 
conditions,  it  cannot  be  successfully  denied  that  in 
recent  years,  at  any  rate,  it  has  been  greatly  influ- 
enced by  social  and  industrial  life. 

Recognizing  this  fact,  an  attempt  is  here  made 
to  squarely  face  the  problems  which  it  presents,  and 
to  suggest  practical  methods  of  work  which  have  been 
found  effective  in  meeting  them. 

ChABLES   SxEIiZLB. 
New  Yokk,  June,  1907. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTKB  PAGE 

I.    Some  Challenging  Forces 11 

The  Church  Victorious.— The  Church  Imitated. — 
The  Church's  Mistakes.— Rivals  of  the  Church. — 
Testing  the  Church. — Development  of  the  City. — 
The  City  an  Industrial  Problem. — Some  City 
Classes. — Significance  of  the  Labor  Movement. — 
Socialism  an  Important  Factor. 

II.  Some  Fundamental  Principles  ....  39 
Conditions  Favoring  the  Church:  Workingmen 
Honor  Jesus  Christ — Workingmen  Naturally  Re- 
ligious—Workingmen  Recognize  the  Social  Ques- 
tion as  a  Religious  Problem — Workingmen  Re- 
sponding to  the  Church's  Appeal. — Methods  Direct- 
ing the  Church:  Sociological  Study — Everyday 
Ministration  —  Aggressive  Evangelism  —  High- 
Grade  Leaders. — Spirit  Animating  the  Church : 
An  Absolute  Sincerity — A  Greater  Democracy — A 
Clearer  Social  Message— A  Prophetic  Spirit. 

III.    The  Trades-Union 64 

Christianity  Blazing  Labor's  Way. — Relation  to 
Unorganized  Labor. — Trades-Unions  Permanent 
Institutions  — Organized  Labor's  Defence. — Moral 
and  Ethical  "Value. — Suggested  Methods  of  Work : 
Study  the  Aims  and  Aspirations  of  Toilers — Ob- 
serve Labor  Sunday— Use  the  Labor  Press— Ex- 
change Fraternal  Delegates. 

rV.    The  City  Slttm 100 

Investigating  the  Slum, — Characteristics  of  the 
Slum. — Agencies  at  Work  in  the  Slum. 

9 


lo  Contents 

cHAFTiR  rAea 

V.    Social  Centres 116 

Why  Social  Centres  are  Needed.— Lodges  as  Social 
Centres. — "Social "  Clubs  as  Social  Centres. — The 
Saloon  as  a  Social  Centre. — Substitutes  for 
the  Saloon. — Municipal  Centres.— Social  Settle- 
ments. 

VI.  The  Childben  op  the  City 141 

Chances  for  the  Child  of  the  Tenement. — The 
Children  in  the  Factory. — The  Children  on  the 
Streets. — Child-Saving  Agencies. 

VII.  The  Institutional  Church 168 

Changing  Social  Conditions. — Pressing  Social 
Needs. — Demanding  Social  Leaders. — Defining 
Social  Service. — Typifying  Social  Activity, — Re- 
warding Social  Effort, 

VIII.    Aggressive  Evangelism 192 

The  Gospel  for  the  City. — The  Gospel  in  the 
Slums. — The  Gospel  in  the  Shops. — The  Gospel 
in  Public  Institutions. — The  Gospel  during  the 
Summer  Season. — The  Gospel  in  Song. — The  Gos- 
pel in  Print. — The  Gospel  Advertised.— The  Gos- 
pel Presented  Personally. 


CHRISTIANITY'S    STORM 
CENTRE 


SOME  CHALLENGING  FORCES 

The  Church  Victorious 

Thus  far  the  Church  has  stood  the  test  of  time. 
Her  ideals  and  her  methods  have  been  so  far  above 
those  of  every  other  agency  that  she  has  surpassed 
them  in  the  race  for  supremacy.  Eor  at  no  time 
in  her  history  has  the  claim  of  the  Church  to  be  the 
truest  representative  of  God  in  the  world,  been  un- 
disputed. Other  religions  and  other  institutions 
have  insisted  that  they,  too,  must  be  recognized  as 
representing  the  spirit  and  the  teaching  of  the 
Creator.  But  the  great  strength  of  the  Church  lies 
in  the  fact  that  Christianity  is  the  result  of  God 
seeking  man,  while  all  other  religions  are  the  result 
of  man  seeking  God. 

Misrepresentation  and  persecution  have  done  their 
hurt  against  the  Church.  But  neither  the  ignorance 
and  the  narrowness  of  the  bigot,  nor  the  hatred  and 
the  malice  of  the  oppressor,  have  succeeded  in  ac- 


12  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

complishing  the  Church's  destruction.  Rather  have 
they  forced  the  Church  to  define  more  clearly  her 
position  and  to  weld  more  closely  her  adherents. 

Changes  in  political,  in  economic,  and  in  social 
life  have  also  come,  but  the  Church  has  always  ad- 
,  justed  herself  to  these  changing  condi- 

ohanged  social  tions.  Generally  the  change  came  quite 
con  tions.  naturally,  because  the  great  underlying 
principles  upon  which  Christianity  is  built  are  ap- 
plicable to  every  human  condition,  and  the  leaders  in 
the  Church  quickly  discerned  the  signs  of  the  times, 
although  frequently  it  required  the  strong,  stem 
message  of  a  prophet  who  saw  with  clearer  vision. 

And  so,  the  Church  has  come  down  the  ages  with 
increasing  power  and  influence.  Sometimes  with 
martial  tread,  in  response  to  trumpet  call ;  sometimes 
with  ministering  hand  to  hungry  and  distressed; 
sometimes  with  message  strong  to  quicken  conscience 
weak  with  sin,  but  principally  in  meeting  the  every- 
day needs  of  a  common  suffering  humanity,  whose 
cry  for  help  was  the  Church's  call  to  service.  N'ot 
always  has  she  been  true  to  her  highest  ideals,  but 
by  these  ideals  must  she  be  judged,  rather  than  by 
her  mistakes. 

The  Church  Imitated 

So  great  has  been  the  influence  of  the  Church 
that  even  some  of  her  earlier  rivals  among  other 
religions — catching  something  of  her  spirit — have 
been  vastly  improved,  until  sometimes  the  best  that 


Some  Challenging  Forces  13 

IS  in  them  compares  favorahly  with  the  inferior 
forms  of  Christianity;  and  the  good  that  they 
adopted  has  become  the  enemy  of  the  best  that  may 
be  found  in  the  fuller  gospel  of  Christ. 

N^ot  only  has  the  Church  adjusted  herself  to 
changing  social  conditions,  but  she  has  been  the 
principal  factor  in  social  progress.  Even  her  ene- 
mies have  been  compelled  to  admit  that  the  Church 
has  done  more  for  the  common  cause  of  humanity 
than  all  other  agencies  combined.  But,  as  in  re- 
ligion, so  in  social  progress,  the  spirit  and  the  method 
of  the  Church  have  sometimes  been  appropriated  by 
social  reformers,  and  in  some  instances  they  have  set 
themselves  up  as  leaders  of  movements  which  ignored 
the  Church.  While  the  list  of  contributors  toward 
worthy  philanthropic  and  civic  objects  is  very  largely 
composed  of  Christian  men  and  women,  there  is 
much  individual  philanthropy  by,  and  quite  a  good 
many  public  betterment  organizations  under  the 
leadership  of,  those  who  are  not  churchmen. 

The  Church's  Mistakes 

Unfortunately,  it  has  happened  that  the  Church 
imagined  that  she  had  a  monopoly  of  all  the  Chris- 
tianity which  might  exist  in  the  world.    „ 

_,,        Ini  1  .  1        <•  Bupposing  that 

The  Church  has  occasionally  forgotten  ate  monopolized 
that   the    success   of    Christianity   does  Christianity. 
not   depend   exclusively  upon  her.     She   has  been 
obliged  to  learn  the  lesson  that  God  is  not  con- 
fined to  her  organization  nor  to  her  methods,  in 


14  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

His  plan  for  the  redemption  of  the  world.  The 
pride  of  the  Jew  suffered  a  severe  shock  when  he 
was  told  that  his  nation  could  not  have  a  monopoly 
of  God.  The  same  race,  during  Jesus'  time,  could 
scarcely  believe  that  salvation  was  also  for  the 
Samaritan.  It  required  a  distinct  revelation  from 
heaven  to  convince  even  large-hearted  Peter  that 
"God  is  no  respecter  of  persons ;  but  in  every  nation 
he  that  feareth  Him  and  worketh  righteousness,  is 
accepted  with  Him."  The  first  ecumenical  confer- 
ence of  the  early  Church,  as  narrated  in  the  fifteenth 
chapter  of  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  declared,  in 
a  general  proclamation,  that  the  Gentiles  need  not 
be  bound  by  certain  forms  and  ceremonies  which  had 
been  practised  by  the  Christians  who  formed  the 
Church  as  it  then  existed. 

Often  has  God  rebuked  those  who  considered  them- 
selves the  elect,  in  the  matter  of  interpreting  His 
will.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Savonarola,  Wycliffe, 
Luther,  and  Knox,  each  were  compelled  to  with- 
stand those  whose  opposition  was  based  upon  a  nar- 
row conception  of  the  true  significance  and  the  com- 
prehensiveness of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

There  came  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  Church 
of  England,  when  that  denomination  seemed  to  have 
Bebukeof  gotten  away  from  the  common  people, 
unfaithful  It  was  then  that  God  raised  up  John 
Wesley,  who  organized  a  movement 
among  the  people  which  became  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Church,  and  which  served  as  a  rebuke  to 


Some  Challenging  Forces  15 

the  pride  of  the  mother  Church,  Then,  when  the 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Church  apparently  forgot  the 
purposes  of  its  mission,  God  raised  out  of  that 
Church  another  leader — ^William  Booth — who  es- 
tablished the  Salvation  Army.  Both  the  Church  of 
England  and  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Churches 
learned  their  lesson,  with  the  result  that  both  be- 
came more  aggressive  than  ever  before  in  the  task 
of  bringing  the  Gospel  to  the  great  masses  of  the 
people. 

Rivals  of  the  Church 

It  is  not  likely  that  any  one  force  in  the  city's 
life  will  ever  gain  supremacy  over  the  Church.  It 
may  be,  however,  that  a  combination  of  other 

forces  will  cripple   her  usefulness  and  leUgions. 

power.  Probably  other  religions  are  to  be  feared 
least  of  all.  While  they  may  have  many  followers, 
none  will  ever  usurp  the  place  of  the  Christian 
Church.  For  their  existence  and  their  aggressive- 
ness will  purify  the  Church  of  those  faults  and  fail- 
ures which  may  have  given  rise  to  the  introduction  of 
false  religions  in  our  midst.  But  such  religions  do 
exist  to-day.  Sometimes  with  teachers  from  heathen 
lands,  these  devotees  of  religions  whose  doctrines 
have  long  since  been  exploded,  are  giving  themselves 
to  a  worship  which  is  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God, 
and  which  would  seem  to  violate  the  laws  of  good 
sense  and  a  sane  judgment.  ^Nevertheless,  there  are 
thousands  who  blindly  follow  the  leadings  of  men  and 


1 6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

women  who  pose  as  prophets  and  seers  of  a  new  re- 
ligious dispensation. 

Others  there  are  who  have  become  adherents  of  a 
cult  which  denies  the  existence  of  matter,  and  which 
promises  relief  from  every  physical  ill  which  man- 
kind has  suffered  because  of  the  lack  of  a  peculiar 
kind  of  faith.  Already  this  so-called  religion  has 
its  temples  in  nearly  every  city,  with  its  teachers  and 
oflScers. 

Then  there  are  the  societies  for  ethical  culture, 
which  also  have  their  regular  preaching  services, 
Ethical  (ml-  sometimes  with  philanthropic  agencies 
tnre  Moieties,  ^hich  attract  and  help  those  who  need 
the  ministry  and  the  education  which  are  to  be  found 
in  these  institutions. 

iN'aturally  there  are  elements  of  truth  in  each  of 
these  substitutes  for  the  Church,  even  in  the  Ori- 
entalism which  seems  so  heathenish  to  our  Occidental 
tastes  and  inclinations.  Some  teaching  there  is 
which  seems  to  satisfy  the  spiritual  hunger  of  many 
who  have  been  disappointed  in  the  coldness  of  a 
particular  local  church  that  lacked  the  enthusiasm 
and  the  warmth  of  a  great  love.  Others  have  failed 
to  find  in  some  churches  that  expression  of  the  true 
ethical  teaching  of  Christ  and  so  they  strayed  to  an- 
other organization  to  find  in  its  doctrine  something 
of  that  which  their  sincere  hearts  sought,  but  have 
failed  to  receive  that  life  and  power  which  come  of 
a  fuller  fellowship  with  the  Son  of  God. 


Some  Challenging  Forces  17 

Testing  the  Church 

The  Church  to-daj  seems  to  have  arrived  at  one  of 
the  most  crucial  periods  in  her  history.  Some  there 
are  who  talk  of  the  Church  "holding  her  Losing  ia 

own."  But  that  seems  like  offering  a  tie  city, 
miserable  sop  to  an  institution  which  holds  a  com- 
mission to  conquer  and  to  regenerate  the  world. 
However  it  may  be  with  reference  to  her  task  as  a 
whole,  no  one  can  successfully  deny  that  the 
Church  is  slowly  but  surely  losing  ground  in 
the  city.  J^early  every  city  in  America  is  witness- 
ing the  removal  of  its  churches  from  the  densely 
populated  sections  where  the  Church  is  most 
needed. 

We  plant  our  churches,  as  a  rule,  not  where  the 
largest  number  of  people  live,  but  where  the  Church 
will  receive  the  largest  financial  support.  We  some- 
times forget  that  the  Church  is  simply  a  means  to  an 
end.  Most  of  us  think  that  the  Church  is  the  end. 
We  talk  about  building  up  the  Church  instead  of 
building  up  the  people.  Within  recent  years,  forty 
Protestant  churches  moved  out  of  the  district  below 
Twentieth  Street  in  New  York  City,  while  300,000 
people  moved  in.  This  is  simply  typical  of  prac- 
tically every  city  in  the  country.  Alarmed  for  her 
safety,  and  for  her  very  life,  the  Church  has  sounded 
a  dismal  retreat,  in  the  face  of  the  greatest  oppor- 
tunity which  has  ever  come  to  her  in  the  cause  of 
home  missions  and  patriotism. 


1 8  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Development  of  the  City 

We  are  rapidly  becoming  a  nation  of  cities.  In 
1800  four  per  cent,  of  the  population  of  the  United 
States  lived  in  cities  of  8,000  and  over.  In  1900 
there  were  about  thirty-three  per  cent.  In  1800 
there  were  six  cities  having  a  population  of  8,000  and 
more.  To-day  there  are  nearly  six  hundred  such 
cities.  While  the  total  population  in  America  in- 
creased twenty  and  seven-tenths  per  cent,  from  1890 
to  1900,  the  urban  population  of  the  country  in- 
creased thirty-seven  per  cent. 

Thus  more  than  twenty-five  millions  of  America's 
population  dwell  in  cities  of  over  8,000  inhabitants, 
The  proper-  while  more  than  thirty  millions  reside  in 
tlon  of  growth,  communities  of  over  4,000  people.  In 
Rhode  Island  eighty-one  per  cent,  of  the  people  live 
in  cities.  In  Massachusetts  the  cities  claim  seventy- 
six  per  cent.,  in  iNew  York  sixty-eight  per  cent,  in 
iNTew  Jersey  sixty-one  per  cent.,  and  in  Connecticut 
fifty-three  per  cent. 

This  rapid  development  of  the  city  is  not  peculiar 
to  the  United  States.  Already  four-fifths  of  the 
people  of  the  United  Kingdom  live  in  cities.  While 
London  is  probably  two  thousand  years  old,  four- 
fifths  of  its  growth  has  been  added  during  this  cen- 
tury. Paris  is  four  times  as  large  as  it  was  in  1800. 
St.  Petersburg  has  increased  nearly  threefold  in 
seventy-five  years. 

The  factors  which  have  created  the  city  are  still 
dominant.      The   introduction   of  labor-saving  ma- 


Some  Challenging  Forces  19 

chinery  multiplies  the  efficiency  of  those  who  re- 
main on  the  farm,  but  fails  to  increase  the  eating 
capacity  of  the  rest  of  the  world.  It  Lator-saving 
is  quite  evident  that  with  the  decreased  j^^^^rt^nt  "^ 
demand  for  manual  labor  on  account  factor, 
of  the  use  of  machinery,  the  farmer  is  driven  to  the 
city,  where  he  can  find  employment  in  the  factory, 
where  not  only  agricultural  implements  are  turned 
out  but  every  other  conceivable  object,  for  which  the 
demands  are  almost  unlimited. 

Notwithstanding  the  best  efforts  of  well-inten- 
tioned philanthropists  and  capitalists  to  induce  the 
immigrant  and  other  laborers  to  move  onto  the  land, 
they  persist  in  remaining  in  the  city,  not  only  for  the 
reasons  already  given,  but  because  while  the  country- 
bred  man  seems  to  find  it  comparatively  easy  to  adapt 
himself  to  city  life,  the  city-bred  man  rarely  adjusts 
himself  to  the  ways  of  the  country.  Those  who  do  go 
to  the  country  are  usually  the  ones  who  are  com- 
paratively free  from  the  very  state  which  seems  to 
make  this  step  necessary. 

With  the  rapidly  developing  transportation  facili- 
ties, the  business  man  who  makes  his  money  in  the 

city  can  easily  make  his  home  in  the       „™  .  - 
■^  ''  Effect  of 

suburb,  and  usually  he  assumes  no  respon-     transportation 

sibility  for  the  city's  civic  and  religious 

life,   often  leaving  it   in   the   hands   of   the   least 

capable. 

Because  of  these  inevitable  changing  conditions, 
and  because  in  the  cities  are  found  every  element 


ao  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

which  has  thus  far  tested  the  strength  and  the  virility 
of  the  Church,  and  in  some  instances  destroyed  the 
very  life  of  governments  which  had  given  promise  of 
permanence,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  that  we 
are  facing  forces  which  challenge  the  Church  for 
supremacy  in  the  great  storm  centres  of  our  country. 

The  City  an  Industrial  Problem 

The  economic  interpretation  of  history  seems  to 
explain  the  long  series  of  events  which  have  followed 
one  another  in  the  development  of  mankind.  Other 
influences  there  have  been  which  cannot  be  cata- 
logued under  this  study,  which  have  to  do  with  the 
purely  human  elements,  such  as  love,  hate,  ambition, 
and  pride,  to  say  nothing  of  the  stronger  religious  in- 
fluences, but  nevertheless  the  fundamental  basis  of 
the  development  has  been  economic  and  industrial. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  life  of  primitive  man 

was  largely  determined  by  certain  economic  factors — 

„        .         the  discovery  of  fire,  the  invention  of  pot- 
Economic  J  7  r 

and  industrial  tery,  the  domestication  of  animals,  and 
the  use  of  tools.  We  speak  of  the  ages 
of  stone,  bronze,  and  iron.  We  talk  about  the  hunt- 
ing and  fishing,  the  pastoral,  the  agricultural,  the 
commercial,  and  the  industrial  stages  of  civilization. 
The  early  migrations,  the  abolition  of  slavery,  the 
awakening  of  nations,  the  American  and  the  French 
Revolutions,  and  most  of  the  wars  of  history,  were 
largely  due  to  economic  causes. 

There  is  no  great  political  question  before  the 


Some  Challenging  Forces  2i 

American  people  to-day  which  is  free  from  this  ele- 
ment. Nearly  every  law  passed  by  the  legislature, 
and  nearly  every  governmental  enterprise,  has  its 
economic  aspect — if,  indeed,  it  is  not  altogether 
economic  in  its  nature.  This  is  particularly  true  in 
the  city. 

The  recklessness  of  great  corporations  in  the  vio- 
lation of  law  and  in  the  total  disregard  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  common  people,  which  has  so  Business 
recently  been  exposed  by  legislative  and  dishonesty. 
by  private  investigation;  the  sharp  competition  in 
commercial  life  behind  which  even  many  of  our  other- 
wise honest  business  men  take  refuge  in  explaining 
their  unlawful  practice;  the  greed  and  the  avarice 
of  many  employers  in  their  dealing  with  those  who 
are  helping  them  amass  great  fortunes — these  are 
centering  in  the  city  forces  which  may  some  day 
undermine  every  institution  which  stands  for  the 
peace  and  the  prosperity  of  the  nation.  These  unlaw- 
ful and  unregarding  business  interests  stand  as  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  Church.  And  against  them  the  Church 
must  wage  a  battle  as  courageously  as  she  attacks 
every  other  form  of  vice  and  sin  which  she  finds 
among  the  people  in  other  walks  of  life. 

Some  City  Classes 

More  dangerous  than  any  opposing  religious  sys- 
tem is  the  Church's  apparent  failure  to  recognize  the 
influence  of  the  social  and  physical  conditions  which 
affect  many  of  those  whom  we  are  seeking  to  win  to 


22  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Christ.  These  conditions  have  more  to  do  with  their 
alienation  from  the  Church  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed. Do  you  recall  that  for  a  time  the  children  of 
Israel  would  not  hearken  to  Moses  because  of  the 
"rigor  of  their  toil,"  even  though  he  came  with  a  mes- 
sage direct  from  the  throne  of  God?  For  the  same 
reason  there  are  to-day  thousands  who  would  not 
listen  to  the  Gospel  message  even  though  it  were 
preached  by  an  angel  sent  from  heaven. 

The  filthy  slum,  the  dark  tenement,  the  unsanitary 
factory,  the  long  hours  of  toil,  the  lack  of  a  living 
Tie  help-  wage,  the  back-breaking  labor,  the  in- 
less  poor,  ability  to  pay  necessary  doctor's  bills  in 
times  of  sickness,  the  poor  and  insufficient  food, 
the  lack  of  leisure,  the  swift  approach  of  old  age, 
the  dismal  future, — these  weigh  down  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  vast  multitudes  in  our  cities.  Many  have 
almost  forgotten  how  to  smile.  To  laugh  is  a  lost 
art.  The  look  of  care  has  come  so  often  and  for  so 
long  a  period  at  a  time,  that  it  is  now  forever  stamped 
upon  their  faces.  The  lines  are  deep  and  hard. 
Their  souls — their  ethical  souls — are  all  but  lost. 
No  hell  in  the  future  can  be  worse  to  them  than  the 
hell  in  which  they  now  are.  They  fear  death  less 
than  they  do  sleep.  Some,  indeed,  long  for  the  sum- 
mons, daring  not  to  take  their  own  lives. 

To  such,  what  does  it  matter  whether  the  doors 
of  the  Church  are  closed  or  open  ?  What  attraction 
has  the  flowery  sermon  or  the  polished  oration? 
What  meaning  have  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the 


Some  Challenging  Forces  13 

Brotherhood  of  Man  ?  Where  is  God  ?  they  ask ;  and 
what  cares  man,  they  say.  It  is  in  meeting  the 
needs  of  these  that  the  Church  will  be  severely  tested 
in  coming  days. 

Class  distinctions  are  more  sharply  drawn  in  the 
city  than  they  are  in  the  country.  A  deep  hatred  for 
those  of  the  so-called  upper  class  is  only  -, 
too  frequently  manifested  by  men  and  soiousnesain 
women  whose  lives  have  become  narrowed  *  ^' 
by  what  they  consider  great  inequalities  in  oppor- 
tunity for  securing  more  of  the  comforts  of  life. 
Daily,  the  newspapers  contain  stories  which  indicate 
this  feeling  of  class-consciousness.  A  well-known 
iN'ew  York  evening  newspaper  sent  to  the  opera  a 
woman  who  has  become  a  leader  among  the  masses 
of  the  people  of  its  great  East  Side,  particularly 
among  the  foreign  element.  She  then  told  the  story 
of  her  impressions  in  the  columns  of  that  journal. 
Here  is  part  of  it: 

"What  interested  me  most  was  the  condition  of  the 
people.  I  had  never  before  in  a  public  place  seen  so 
many  women  in  all  their  extravagance  of  impressions 
dress — their  satins  and  sUks  and  gold  "^  Society." 
cloth,  their  laces  and  jewels.  And  yet  I  was  told  by 
one  who  knows  that  this  was  a  quiet,  modest  display 
compared  with  that  of  other  evenings ;  that  Wednes- 
day's assemblage  is  rarely  so  ^brilliant'  as  those  on 
Monday  or  Friday.  Here  was  represented  no  slight 
amount  of  human  labor.  A  gown,  a  glove,  a  shoe,  a 
jewel,  a  bit  of  lace,  a  fan.     A  million  men  and 


24  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

women — aye,  and  children ! — laboring  for  these  idle 
sisters ! 

"If  we  consider  also  all  they  possess  that  they  have 
not  brought  with  them — a  heap  of  gowns,  of  jewels, 
wardrobes  bursting  with  their  stores ;  houses,  yachts, 
automobiles,  carriages,  silver  and  gold  plate,  collec- 
tions of  wonderful  things  of  the  world,  rich  carpets, 
tapestries,  ornaments,  many  books,  fine  paintings — 
and  leisure!  leisure!  Think  of  it!  Time  to  grow, 
time  to  learn,  time  to  see,  time  to  hear,  to  absorb  the 
best  things  of  life;  time  to  get  culture,  refinement, 
learning,  knowledge,  wisdom. 

"A  million  people  working  for  them!  And  they 
render  no  service  in  return.  And  yet  no  widespread, 
keen  realization  among  them  of  the  deep  injustice 
of  grinding  the  lives  and  the  health  and  the  hopes  of 
the  workers  into  unearned  profits! 

"The  world  that  works  is  waking  up !  and  waking 
particularly  to  a  sense  of  its  own  great  power.  Some 
Workers  day  they  will  peacefully  take  that  justice 
awakening.  which  is  now  denied  them,  and  not  only 
for  themselves,  but  for  all.  The  rich  and  the  idle 
may  remain  indifferent,  some  of  them  or  most  of 
them.  It  will  not  very  materially  matter  so  long 
as  they  who  do  the  world's  work  are  aroused  to  know 
their  own  power  to  usher  in  the  dawn  of  industrial 
democracy,  justice,  and  peace.  Come  to  us  and  help 
if  you  believe  in  justice  to  all  and  freedom  from 
wage  slavery.  We  have  manhood  enough  in  us  to 
refrain  from  coming  to  you  with  our  chains  and  ask- 


Some  Challenging  Forces  25 

ing  that  you  strike  them  off  for  us.    We  shall  strike 
them  off  ourselves." 

Wot  always  is  the  feeling  so  strong  or  so  bluntly 
expressed,  but  running  through  the  lives  of  the  great 
masses  of  the  people  in  our  cities,  there  is  a  note  of 
social  unrest  which  is  also  a  note  of  warning  against 
the  flaunting  of  riches  in  the  faces  of  the  helpless 
and  hopeless  poor. 

Closely  allied  to  this  element  in  the  city's  life  are 
the  problem  and  the  challenge  of  the  immigrant. 
He  is  coming  at  the  rate  of  a  million  a  The  immi- 
year.  He  will  continue  to  come.  Al-  ^^^' 
ways  will  he  be  present  amongst  us.  Only  about  one- 
twelfth  of  the  population  in  Paris  is  foreign-born. 
In  London  less  than  one-thirtieth  of  its  population 
is  foreign.  But  according  to  the  census  of  1900,  the 
160  cities  in  the  United  States  having  at  least  25,000 
inhabitants,  have  a  foreign-born  population  of 
twenty-six  per  cent.  It  is  worthy  of  attention  that 
among  the  cities  having  the  largest  percentage  of 
foreign-born  inhabitants  are  those  in  Massachusetts, 
Fall  River  having  forty-seven  per  cent.,  Lawrence 
forty-five  per  cent.,  Lowell  forty-three,  Holyoke 
forty-one.  These  New  England  cities  exceed  Chi- 
cago with  its  thirty-four  per  cent,  and  New  York 
with  its  thirty-five  per  cent. 

In  history,  the  immigrant  has  conquered  nations, 
not  always  by  force  of  arms,  but  by  method  of  life 
or  by  force  of  character.  Sometimes  for  good,  often 
for  ill.     The  average  immigrant  will  make  a  good 


26  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

citizen,  provided  that  the  American  will  show  him 
how.  And  the  American  citizen  has  more  to  do  with 
jj  ^  J  J  the  right  solution  of  the  "problem"  of  the 
sympathetio  immigrant  than  has  the  immigrant  him- 
self. He  stands,  therefore,  as  a  chal- 
lenge to  our  Christian  citizenship.  "What  do  you 
desire  me  to  become  V  he  is  asking.  "Shall  I  influ- 
ence your  social  and  economic  life  by  the  force  of 
my  greater  numbers — ^by  my  religion,  by  my  cus- 
toms, and  by  my  ballot — or  will  you  direct  me  and 
mine  into  better  things?"  There  he  stands.  What 
are  the  churches  going  to  do  with  him?  Either  the 
Church  must  save  him,  or  else  the  Church  cannot 
save  herself.  Indeed,  it  will  be  only  as  the  Church  is 
willing  to  lose  her  life  that  she  will  find  it  again 
among  the  masses  of  the  people. 

The  fact  that  he  will  become  "Americanized"  is 
not  sufficient.  Great  crowds  of  Polish  workingmen, 
fresh  from  the  old  country,  crowded  every  Sunday 
morning  about  the  doors  of  a  Catholic  church.  The 
priest  in  charge  was  congratulated  upon  his  success 
in  reaching  so  many  men.  "Oh,  yes,"  he  replied, 
"but  if  you  will  come  around  in  about  a  year  or  so, 
you  will  not  find  one  of  these  here.  By  that  time, 
they  will  have  become  'Americanized.*  " 

Another  element  in  our  city  life  that  challenges 

the  Church  is  that  great  class  of  workers  known  as 

The  "clerk      the    "clerk    class."     They    are    usually 

class."  spoken  of  as  "working  people,"  although 

they  often  consider  themselves  superior  to  the  men 


Some  Challenging  Forces  27 

who  wear  overalls,  even  though  the  artisan  may  earn 
twice  as  much  money,  and  perform  a  service  which 
requires  twice  as  much  ability.  The  prejudice  ex- 
isting between  these  two  classes  is  rapidly  being 
broken  down,  because  the  toiler  in  commercial  pur- 
suits and  the  toiler  in  the  shop  and  in  the  factory  are 
coming  to  realize  that  their  economic  interests  are 
mutual,  and  that  they  must  stand  together  in  their 
fight  against  a  common  foe. 

To  such  an  extent  has  this  spirit  been  developed 
that  the  retail  clerks'  union  is  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential in  labor  circles.     So  far  has  this       _  .  , 

Social  unrest 

agitation  gone  among  even  the  semi-pro-  in  the  profes- 
fessional  classes,  that  in  several  cities 
the  school-teachers  are  organized  into  labor  unions, 
notably  in  Chicago,  where  they  practically  control  the 
management  of  the  public  schools.  Socialism  and  the 
spirit  of  social  unrest  which  is  so  much  in  evidence 
in  our  cities,  is  by  no  means  confined  to  laboring  men. 
To  a  very  great  extent  it  is  found  among  the  clerks 
and  among  the  semi-professional  class,  and  even 
among  the  less  prosperous  professional  men  and 
women.  At  a  recent  election  in  I^ew  York,  it  was 
discovered  that  among  twenty-two  salesmen  in  a  high- 
class  clothing  establishment,  twenty-one  voted  for  the 
candidate  for  Mayor  who  represented  the  most  radi- 
cal element  in  local  politics. 

Many  among  the  clerk  class  have  become  alienated 
from  the  Church.  Indeed,  the  condition,  social, 
economic,  and  religious,  of  thousands  of  clerks  in 


28  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

our  cities,  is  one  of  the  most  serious  which  confronts 
us  to-day.  Many  of  them  are  desperate  in  their 
need.  Their  very  position  in  social  life  makes  their 
condition  more  deplorable,  because  of  their  inability, 
as  a  rule,  to  live  up  to  the  standards  which  they  have 
set  up  for  themselves  or  which  others  have  set  up  for 
them.  The  hall  bedrooms  in  which  large  numbers 
are  compelled  to  live — women  as  well  as  men — ^wit- 
ness many  a  tragedy. 

This  is  particularly  true  of  the  women  in  our  great 
cities.     The  wonder  is  not  that  so  many  go  wrong, 

Trials  f  ^^*  *^^*  ^^  many  remain  true  to  the 
women  work-  Christian  principles  learned  in  the  old 
home  days.  Many  of  these  become  em- 
bittered— against  the  Church  as  well  -as  against 
society.  They  are  fighting  their  own  battles — alone, 
they  believe,  while  the  world  moves  on,  leaving  them 
in  the  solitude  of  the  cold,  dismal,  kerosene-heated 
bedroom,  with  no  one  to  comfort  or  cheer.  It  is  no 
wonder  that  hosts  of  them  have  become  alienated 
from  the  Church  of  their  earlier  years,  and,  even 
when  they  have  not  fallen  into  the  bypaths  of  gross 
sin,  they  have  been  won  to  movements  which  are 
sharply  challenging  the  Church  for  first  place  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people. 

Significance  of  the  Labor  Movement 

Among  the  forces  in  society  that  challenge  the 
Church  to-day,  none  has  become  quite  so  effective  as 
the  labor  movement.     Here  we  find  developed  to  a 


Some  Challenging  Forces  29 

remarkable  degree  the  three  great  principles  for 
which  Christianity  stands :  viz.,  the  value  of  a  human 
life,  the  care  of  the  human  body,  the  development  of 
the  human  soul. 

Like  all  other  great  movements  the  labor  move- 
ment has  had  its  period  of  hysteria.  Indeed,  it  has 
not  yet  passed  the  time  when  it  should  be  wholly 
free  from  the  sign  of  imperfection.  Probably  that 
day  will  arrive  no  sooner  for  the  labor  movement 
than  it  can  possibly  arrive  for  the  Church. 

But  in  spite  of  this  shortcoming,  there  is  so  much 
religion  in  the  labor  movement,  that  some  day  it  will 
become  a  question  as  to  whether  the  Tie  religions 
Church  will  capture  the  labor  movement  element. 
or  whether  the  labor  movement  will  capture  the 
Church.  It  should  be  understood  that  the  labor 
imion  is  not  the  labor  question.  It  is  simply  one 
expression  of  the  labor  movement.  There  are  thou- 
sands who  are  being  deluded  by  the  vain  hope  that 
if  the  labor  union  could  be  abolished,  the  labor  ques- 
tion would  be  settled.  If  every  labor  union  in  ex- 
istence were  to  be  destroyed,  the  labor  question  would 
still  be  present — ^probably  in  a  more  aggravated  form 
than  it  is  to-day. 

There  are  forces  organized  and  unorganized  which 
are  included  in  this  term.  It  includes  the  twenty- 
five  million  Socialists  of  the  world,  nearly  -^niat  consti- 
seven  millions  of  whom  have  cast  their  tmtes  the  labor 
ballots  for  Socialist  candidates.  It  in- 
cludes the  eight  million  trades-unionists  from  every 


30  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

land,  three  millions  of  whom  are  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  It  is  represented  in  the  upris- 
ing among  the  Kussian  peasantry,  twenty  thousand 
of  whom,  in  1906,  suffered  martyrs'  deaths  in  a  cause 
which  had  become  to  them  a  religion.  It  involves 
the  movement  among  the  English  workingmen,  who, 
to-day,  practically  control  the  British  Parliament. 
It  is  found  in  Germany,  where  forty  per  cent,  of  the 
people  are  working  for  the  success  of  the  "Social 
Democracy,"  and  where  this  movement  of  the  com- 
moner stands  as  a  menace  before  the  Kaiser  and  the 
German  Reichstag.  It  is  greatly  in  evidence  in 
Italy,  in  Belgium,  in  France,  in  Australia, — indeed, 
not  a  country  across  the  sea  but  what  has  its  labor 
problem,  to  say  nothing  about  the  social  unrest  that 
exists  in  Canada  and  the  United  States. 

In  view  of  all  this,  it  does  not  require  a  very  wise 
man  to  say  that  this  is  the  era  of  the  common  man. 
Oommon  When  the  hour  strikes  that  shall  pro- 

people  viotori-  claim  the  victory  of  the  common  people, 
this  is  the  question  that  will  confront  the 
Church — ^will  they  be  inspired  by  a  high  religious 
ideal  given  them  by  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  or 
will  they  go  on  in  a  spirit  of  indifference  because  they 
have  the  consciousness  that  they  have  won  all  in 
spite  of  the  Church?  For  win  they  will;  no  hu- 
man power  can  prevent  it,  and  no  divine  power 
will. 

It  is  only  too  true  that  without  a  moral  and  a 
spiritual  vision,  the  people  are  bound  to  perish,  but 


Some  Challenging  Forces  31 

it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  without  the  rugged 
strength  that  comes  with  and  through  the  common 
people,  the  Church  is  sure  to  fail.  We  need  con- 
stantly to  be  reminded  that  the  Church  must  save 
the  people,  but  some  day  the  people  are  going  to  help 
save  the  Church.  When  Christ  preached  to  men.  He 
attracted  those  from  the  middle-class  downward.  To- 
day the  Church  seems  to  attract  principally  those 
from  the  middle-class  upward. 

This  alienation  has  been  due  not  only  to  the  fact 
that  the  working  people  have  misunderstood  the 
Church,  but  because  the  Church  has  mis-  The  coming 
understood  the  working  people.  Largely  democracy. 
because  she  has  lost  contact  with  the  people  them- 
selves, the  Church  cannot  understand  the  real  nature 
and  true  aspirations  of  the  spirit  of  democracy  which 
has  so  strong  a  hold  upon  the  workingman.  Most  of 
us  think  only  of  its  dangers.  It  behooves  the 
Church  to  study  it  and  direct  it  with  unselfish- 
ness, and  with  a  devotion  to  the  right  which  shall 
win  the  millions  who  incarnate  the  "common 
people." 

The  three  great  social  systems  that  workingmen 
are  hearing  most  about  to-day,  are  Anarchism,  Com- 
munism, and  Socialism.     To  most  peo-      „  . ,. 

'  ^  Socialism, 

pie  these  are  synonymous.     It  is  because    Commnnism, 

.1  .  •    .    n.         ,       /^i     •    . .  and Anaichism. 

many     otherwise     intelligent     Christian 
teachers  and  leaders  have  made  this  error  in  dealing 
with  workingmen's  problems,  that  thinking  working- 
men  have  regarded  them  with  contempt  when  they 


32  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

have  approached  them  with  spiritual  truth.  An- 
archism declares  that  law,  and  the  restriction  which 
it  implies,  is  the  source  of  all  evil  in  society,  there- 
fore, it  would  abolish  the  law.  Socialism,  on  the 
other  hand,  going  to  the  other  extreme,  would  have 
every  detail  in  society  governed  by  law,  believing 
that  only  as  men  are  subject  to  the  rule  of  all,  can 
the  destiny  of  each  be  worked  out  harmoniously. 
Communism  is  an  extreme  form  of  Socialism,  in  that 
while  Socialism  advocates  the  holding,  by  the  state, 
of  all  the  means  of  production  and  distribution, — 
the  factories,  the  tools,  the  waterworks,  the  railroads, 
etc., — Communism  would  go  a  step  farther,  and  have 
society  own  all  private  property  as  well. 

But  it  is  in  their  moral  aspects  that  these  systems 
have  their  strongest  hold  upon  the  people  who  are 
Their  moral     their  most  faithful  and  most  conscien- 
aspects.  tious  adherents.     To  the  average  person 

an  Anarchist  is  simply  a  destructionist — a  bomb- 
thrower.  But  bomb-throwing  is  not  an  essential 
part  of  Anarchy.  Wicked  men  might  throw  bombs 
for  the  attainment  of  any  desired  end.  The  An- 
archist insists  that  men  will  do  right  without  the 
strong,  compelling  arm  of  the  law.  That  implies  a 
high  sense  of  justice,  of  righteousness,  of  purity. 
One  never  thinks  of  law  in  the  home,  he  argues,  be- 
cause one  is  controlled  by  the  spirit  of  love.  The 
Communist  demands  the  surrender  of  one's  personal 
interest,  for  the  good  of  the  whole  community.  That 
means  self-sacrifice.     The  Socialist  demands  "from 


Some  Challenging  Forces  33 

every  man  according  to  his  ability."  That  means  a 
life  of  service.  It  will  easily  be  seen  that  the  success 
of  any  of  these  reform  measures  which  are  being 
presented  to  workingmen  is  dependent  upon  high,  un- 
selfish character.  Christianity  makes  a  specialty  of 
the  development  of  this  character. 

It  is  because  there  is  such  a  close  relationship 
between  Christianity  and  the  higher  ethical  ideals 
of  some  reformers,  that  almost  every  Eeiationto 
social  reformer  claims  Jesus  Christ  as  Christianity. 
the  champion  of  his  particular  social  system.  What- 
ever else  this  may  prove,  it  indicates  that  the  Chris- 
tianity taught  by  Jesus  Christ  is  a  much  broader 
thing  than  any  "ism."  Also,  about  every  social  re- 
former criticises  the  Church  because  it  does  not 
boldly  proclaim  his  theory. 

It  has  not  yet  been  proven  that  any  particular 
social  theory,  in  its  practical  application,  will  bring 
about  the  golden  age  for  which  all  good  men  are  long- 
ing. Furthermore,  the  advocates  of  these  systems 
are  not  clear  in  their  own  minds  as  to  just  what  they 
want  or  how  their  schemes  will  work  out.  Is  it  not 
folly,  then,  to  ask  the  Church  to  advocate  a  system 
which  even  its  own  advocates  have  not  yet  fully 
thought  out?  While  it  is  neither  expedient  nor 
profitable  for  the  Church  to  preach  social  theories, 
it  is  important  that  the  great  social  and  economic 
movements  which  are  so  highly  regarded  by  the 
people,  should  become  familiar  to  the  Christian 
worker,  both  minister  and  layman. 


34  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Socialism  an  Important  Factor 

Socialism  is  becoming  the  greatest  political  and 
economic  force  among  the  masses  to-day.  Attention 
has  already  been  called  to  the  numbers  who  are  in 
this  significant  movement.  The  growth  of  Socialism 
in  the  United  States  during  the  four  years  preced- 
ing the  last  Presidential  election  (1904)  was  seven- 
fold. If  the  increase  during  the  next  eight  years 
is  in  the  same  ratio,  the  Socialists  will  elect  a  Presi- 
dent in  this  country.  But  Socialism  has  become  to 
many  workingmen  more  than  an  economic  system. 
It  has  become  a  religion. 

Socialists  have  adopted  the  vocabulary  of  the 
Church.  They  are  insisting  that  Jesus  was  a  Social- 
Snbstitnte  ist,  and  that  Socialism  is  nearer  the  ideal 
fortheOlmroh.  presented  by  Jesus  Christ  than  is  Chris- 
tianity, so-called.  In  the  West  in  some  cities,  they 
have  organized  preaching  services,  which,  in  some 
cases,  are  presided  over  by  ex-ministers  and  ex- 
priests.  They  have  their  Sunday  schools,  in  which 
the  Socialist  catechism  is  being  taught.  Training 
schools  for  the  preparation  of  Socialist  agitators 
and  teachers  are  being  supported. 

They  have  nearly  fifty  weekly  and  monthly  news- 
papers, and  one  daily  published  in  Chicago,  which 
Inflnenoe  of  have  wide  circulation.  There  is  a  single 
Socialist  Press,  weekly  in  the  West,  which  sometimes 
has  a  circulation  of  nearly  a  million  copies  a  week. 
Recently  a  special  edition  attained  a  circulation  of 
three  million  copies.     Besides  the  newspapers,  tons 


Some  Challenging  Forces  35 

of  other  literature  is  puhlished,  nearly  all  of  which 
appeals  to  the  common  man,  for  it  is  written  in  the 
language  of  the  people.  A  prominent  Socialist  re- 
cently said  that  in  his  city,  which  was  thirty-six  per 
cent.  Socialistic, — having  a  population  of  about 
300,000, — ^nine-tenths  of  their  campaign  funds 
were  used  for  literature  of  various  kinds.  The  city 
was  divided  into  sections,  and  three  hundred  men 
arise  every  Sunday  morning  at  five  o'clock,  summer 
and  winter,  for  the  purpose  of  inserting  this  litera- 
ture in  the  newspapers  which  are  found  lying  upon 
the  front  porches,  the  leaflets  being  printed  in  vari- 
ous languages.  If  a  man  finds  that  he  is  unable 
to  perform  this  service,  he  is  required  to  provide  a 
substitute.  It  will  be  noticed  that  their  propaganda 
is  not  confined  to  the  election  season.  It  is  a  year- 
round  campaign. 

The  Socialists  are  conducting  more  open  air  meet- 
ings than  all  of  the  Protestant  Churches  combined. 
But  the  doctrine  which  for  years  has  "ohriatian 
been  taught  almost  exclusively  on  the  Socialism." 
streets  and  in  the  saloons  has  found  a  place  in  the 
hall,  the  college,  and  sometimes  in  the  Church. 
There  are  some  who  proclaim  themselves  "Christian 
Socialists."  But  Christian  Socialism  is  an  anomaly. 
One  might  as  well  say,  and  with  equal  right:  "I  am 
a  Christian  Democrat,"  or  "I  am  a  Christian  Ke- 
publican."  It  is  quite  true  that  one  may  be  a  So- 
cialist and  a  Christian,  too. 

But  the  man  who  says  that  he  is  a  Christian  So- 


^6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

cialist  means  to  place  the  emphasis  upon  the  word 
"Christian,"  while  the  Socialist  who  is  interested 
in  securing  his  vote  thinks  only  of  the  word  "Social- 
ist." Meanwhile,  Socialism  is  given  the  credit  for 
the  "Christian"  Socialist's  Christianity,  which  gives 
the  party  a  dignity  that  it  hardly  deserves.  Indeed, 
the  dignity  sometimes  becomes  quite  an  embarrass- 
ment to  some  of  its  leaders. 

As  Christianity  is  not  a  political  party,  nor,  pri- 
marily, an  economic  system,  it  can  hardly  be  com- 
pared with  Socialism  as  such.  The  principles  of 
Christianity  applied  to  human  society  create  political 
parties  and  economic  systems,  but  Christianity  is  the 
motive  power  and  not  the  machine.  ITeedless  to 
say,  other  political  parties  have  been  just  as  de- 
voted to  the  principles  of  Christianity  as  are  the  men 
who  call  themselves  Christian  Socialists,  so  that 
their  claim  that  Socialism  is  the  only  practical 
expression  of  Christianity  seems  to  be  rather 
egotistical. 

Socialism  has  not  a  monopoly  of  the  high  aims  and 

purposes  for  which  Christianity  stands.    Perhaps  it 

Sooialism        is  because  there  is  so  much  in  Socialism 

JoroHze"""  *^^*  ^^  ^°*  Christian  that  the  Chris- 
Christianity,  tian  men  in  the  movement  find  it  neces- 
sary to  label  themselves  "Christian."  The  great 
movements  in  behalf  of  the  people  inaugurated  by 
the  Church  have  been  started  and  pushed  along  by 
men  who  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  proclaim 
themselves  as  other  than  just  plain  "Christians." 


Some  Challenging  Forces  37 

What  should  be  the  attitude  of  the  Church  toward 
Socialism?  First,  it  must  recognize  the  right  of 
every  man  to  be  a  Socialist,  if  he  is  con-  Attitude  of 
vinced  that  Socialism  is  morally  and  theOhnroh. 
economically  sound.  Second,  it  must  recognize  the 
fact  that  there  are  some  good  things  in  Socialism, 
for  which  Socialism  should  be  given  credit.  Third, 
workingmen  should  be  informed  that  the  Church 
does  not  endorse  the  present  social  system.  It  ac- 
cepts only  so  much  of  the  present  system  as  is  in 
accordance  with  the  principles  laid  down  by  Jesus 
Christ.  It  insists  that  these  principles  shall  be 
applied  to  society  in  all  of  its  ramifications,  but  it 
also  believes  that  others  besides  Socialists  have  both 
the  brain  and  the  heart  to  interpret  these  principles. 
Fourth,  workingmen  should  be  convinced  that  the 
Church  is  not  offering  them  the  Gospel  as  a  mere 
sop,  nor  because  it  is  afraid  that  some  day  they  will 
bring  on  a  revolution,  and  that  it  is  offering  the  same 
Gospel,  with  all  of  its  privileges,  as  well  as  all  of  its 
obligations,  to  their  employers. 

These,  then,  are  some  of  the  forces  that  challenge 
the  Church  in  the  City.  Will  the  Church  be  true  to 
her  commission,  to  the  example  of  her  -  ^  ohuroh 
Master,  and  to  her  own  history,  or  will  equal  to  her 
she  admit  defeat  at  the  hands  of  her 
rivals  or  her  foes,  ancient  and  modern?  Will  she 
confess  that  the  social  conditions  which  confront 
us  as  a  Church  and  as  a  nation  are  too  great  a  prob- 
lem for  her  to  meet  and  solve  ?    These  are  questions 


38  Christianity  *s  Storm  Centre 

which  must  be  answered,  and  answered,  too,  by  many 
who  are  now  in  the  Church,  for  in  their  lifetime  will 
come  many  of  the  battles  between  the  Church  and  the 
forces  which  challenge  her  to-day. 


n 

SOME  FUNDAMENTAL  PEINCIPLES 

Conditions  Favoring  the  Church 

I ^WOEKINGMEN    HONOR    JESUS    CHEIST 

Theee  are  four  facts,  aside  from  other  important 
considerations,  which  make  of  the  problem  of  the 
unchurched  masses  a  question  worthy  of  our  most 
serious  thought. 

First,  the  masses  of  the  people  almost  universally 
honor  Jesus  Christ  as  a  friend  and  leader,  and  most 
of  them  believe  in  His  divinity. 

Mr.  T.  Edmund  Harvey,  deputy  warden  of  Toyn- 
bee  Hall,  recently  said: 

"In  that  fortress  of  progress  which  the  Socialist 
workingmen  of  Belgium  have  built  in  Brussels — 
Maison  du  Peuple — as  you  pass  from  one  part  to 
another  of  that  hive  of  many  activities,  you  may 
happen  to  go  into  an  upper  lecture  hall,  and  note 
across  the  end  of  the  platform  a  great  curtain  hang- 
ing. It  is  drawn  reverently  aside,  and  behind  it 
one  sees  a  fresco  of  the  form  of  Christ,  with  hand 
uplifted,  pointing  the  way  above.  It  is  surely 
deeply  significant  of  the  vital  power  of  His  mes- 

39 


40  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

sage  and  of  the  way  He  wins  men  still  to  follow 
Him." 

To  have  workingmen  cheer  the  name  of  Christ  at 
great  mass  meetings,  is  quite  common,  not  only  at 
Cheering  religious  meetings,  but  also  at  those  held 
Christ's  name,  j^  ^]^q  interest  of  political  parties.  It 
has  been  my  privilege  to  address  great  mass  meetings 
of  workingmen  in  almost  every  city  in  the  United 
States,  the  audiences  numbering  from  one  thousand 
to  fifteen  thousand.  Frequently,  at  the  mention  of 
the  name  of  Jesus,  there  has  come  applause  from 
every  part  of  the  hall.  Hundreds  have,  at  various 
times,  been  corresponded  with  by  the  writer,  with 
reference  to  their  opinion  concerning  Jesus.  Never 
has  one  mentioned  Him  in  any  but  a  respectful  man- 
ner. As  the  police  scattered  a  meeting  of  unem- 
ployed workingmen,  the  leader  proposed  "three 
cheers  for  Jesus  Christ."  The  spirit  with  which 
they  were  given  indicated  that,  down  deep  in  the 
heart  of  the  man  who  has  become  bitter  against  so- 
ciety, there  is  a  high  regard  for  Jesus,  the  Friend  of 
the  workingman. 

II WORKINGMEN    NATTJEAI.LY   RELIGIOUS 

Second,  the  average  workingman  is  naturally  re- 
ligious;  although  his  religion  may  not  always  be 
Infidelity  not  expressed  in  the  most  orthodox  manner, 
common.  rj.^^  audicnoes  that  attended  the  meet- 

ings of  a  late  popular,  but  almost  forgotten  infidel, 
were  not  composed  of  the  artisan  class.     Infidelity 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  41 

scarcely  exists  among  working  people.  The  minister 
may  as  well  take  that  for  granted.  He  might  better 
lay  aside  his  sermons  on  apologetics  and  preach  di- 
rectly to  the  hearts  of  men.  During  the  past  year 
I  was  closely  identified  with  six  ten-day  noon-hour 
shop  campaigns,  in  as  many  principal  cities.  Four 
hundred  shops  were  entered,  five  hundred  ministers 
were  enlisted  as  preachers,  one  thousand  meetings 
were  held,  which  were  attended  by  nearly  two  hun- 
dred thousand  workingmen.  The  preachers  were  in- 
structed to  present  the  Gospel  simply  and  directly, 
with  the  view  of  obtaining  an  immediate  decision 
for  Christ.  At  the  close  of  each  campaign  report 
meetings  were  held.  It  was  the  testimony  of  nearly 
every  preacher  who  had  a  part  in  these  meetings,  that 
he  had  never  been  listened  to  with  greater  interest 
by  any  other  kind  of  an  audience.  Many  people 
imagine  that  in  their  efforts  in  behalf  of  working- 
men,  the  religious  work  must  be  left  out.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  workingmen  respond  most  heartily  to  the 
religious  appeal. 

When  I  first  began  writing  syndicate  articles  for 
the  three  hundred  labor  papers  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  the  title  "Reverend"  was  omitted,  be- 
cause it  was  thought  that  the  title  represented  too 
much  religion,  and  that  it  would  be  resented  by  the 
editors,  to  say  nothing  about  their  readers.  But 
practically  every  labor  editor  added  it  to  the  name, 
and  many  of  them  conferred  upon  me  the  degree  of 
"Doctor  of  Divinity."    It  is  supposed  by  some  minis- 


42  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ters  that  in  advertising  a  meeting  especially  for  work- 
ingmen,  it  is  best  to  omit  the  "Eeverend,"  but  this  is 
an  erroneous  idea. 

Ill WOEKINGMEN  EECOGNIZE  THE  SOCIAL  QUESTION 

AS   A   EELIGIOUS   PEOBLEM 

Third,  the  social  question  is  fundamentally  a 
moral  and  a  religious  problem.  In  the  end,  there 
will  be  not  one  answer  to  the  social  question,  but 
many.  But  all  will  agree  in  this, — all  will  be  re- 
ligious. History  has  prophesied  it.  The  best  labor 
leaders  are  coming  to  recognize  it.  Present  social 
reform  measures  indicate  it. 


APPEAL 

Fourth,  there  has  rarely  been  a  time  in  the  history 
of  the  labor  movement  when  workingmen  were  so 
Endorsing  responsive  to  the  appeal  of  the  Church 
Chnroii  work.  ^^  ^^qj  ^j.g  to-day.  The  fine  response  on 
the  part  of  the  workingmen  to  the  appeal  of  many 
ministers  on  "Labor  Sunday," — the  changed  attitude 
of  the  labor  press  towards  the  Church,  besides  other 
helpful  signs  which  one  cannot  write  about,  make  the 
situation  one  of  great  promise. 

For  these  reasons  the  Church  has  a  very  decided 
advantage  in  the  matter  of  gaining  the  supremacy 
over  the  labor  movement,  because  it  is  already 
supreme  in  the  most  vital  elements  that  enter 
into  the  question.     The  workingman's  profound  re- 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  43 

spect  for  Christ,  his  natural  religious  disposition,  the 
fact  that  the  whole  problem  is  funda-         Ohmoh 
mentally  religious,  and  that  workingmen       SmeSal 
are  responding  so  favorably  to  the  appeal       elements. 
of  the    Church,   should   result   in   victory   for   the 
Church. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  Church  has  often  had 
too  narrow  a  vision.  The  labor  movement  is  con- 
cerned with  such  complex  contlitions  and  such  diverse 
interests  which  affect  working  people  so  vitally  in 
their  everyday  life,  that  no  religious  movement 
which  stops  short  of  their  complete  emancipation — 
physical,  social,  mental,  and  moral — can  hope  to 
find  favor  with  the  masses. 

Methods  Directing  the  Church 

I SOCIOLOGICAL   STUDY 

The  study  of  sociology  of  a  certain  kind  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  understand  more  intelligently  the 
real  needs  of  the  people  whom  we  are  The  man 

trying  to  reach.  But  studying  sociology,  *^®  ®°*' 
one  must  make  it  a  means  rather  than  an  end.  It  is 
unfortunate  that  much  of  the  sociological  study  of  the 
day  is  entered  into  because  of  its  fascination  rather 
than  because  of  its  helpfulness  in  reaching  men  for 
their  own  sakes.  Human  society  is  looked  upon  by 
these  students  very  much  as  the  entomologist  looks 
upon  his  eleven  million  bugs.  Men  are  being  studied 
as  types  rather  than  temples.     More  time  is  being 


44  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

spent  over  tlie  question  as  to  why  a  man  did  not  have 
a  good  grandfather  than  is  put  into  an  effort  to  make 
him  a  good  grandson.  Furthermore,  the  ability 
glibly  to  quote  a  few  pedantic  phrases  as  to  the  socio- 
logical condition  of  the  masses  is  not  an  evidence  that 
one  has  a  grip  on  the  social  question.  The  love  in 
the  heart  of  a  Christian  worker,  which  will  constrain 
him  to  go  to  a  laboring  man  who  is  burdened  with 
sorrow  and  sin,  and  enter  sympathetically  into  his 
life,  will  put  him  in  the  way  of  knowing  more  about 
social  problems  than  many  a  so-called  student  of 
sociology  will  ever  know  about  the  real  conditions  of 
the  poor. 

Having  determined  the  bounds  of  the  field  in 
which  one's  church  is  to  operate,  it  is  absolutely  es- 
sential to  know  just  who  and  what  is  contained  in  that 
field.  An  accurate  diagram  of  the  neighborhood, 
perhaps  three  feet  square,  with  the  location  of 
churches,  schools,  public  halls,  theatres,  saloons,  labor 
unions,  settlements,  and  other  forces  that  make  for 
good  or  evil,  will  be  found  very  helpful  in  this  study, 
both  in  its  preparation  and  in  the  use  which  will  be 
had  for  it  afterward. 

In  some  cases  it  may  not  be  feasible  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  every  family  in  the  community,  but 
Master  the  some  Other  things,  seemingly  more  im- 
Bitnation.  portant,  might  better  be  deferred  until 

one  knows  the  general  character  of  the  people.  This 
knowledge  will  be  invaluable.  There  is  a  feeling  of 
intense  satisfaction  in  realizing  that  one  is  the  mas- 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  45 

ter  of  the  situation  so  far  as  a  knowledge  of  condi- 
tions   is    concerned.     Following    are     some     vital 
questions  which  should  be  carefully  considered : 
How  many  people  are  there  within  the  field  ? 
What  is  their  nationality? 

Which  nationality  is  on  the  increase?  Getting  at 

How  is  this  growth  affecting  the  life,       ^*°*"' 

physical  and  religious,  of  the  community? 
What  are  their  religious  preferences? 
What  are  the  occupations  of  the  people  ? 
What  is  the  average  wage? 
What  is  the  cost  of  living? 
What  is  the  cause  of  poverty  in  the  community  ? 
Are  the  working  people  poor  because  they  go  to 

the  saloon  or  do  they  go  to  the  saloon  because 

they  are  poor? 
Do  the  people  who  are  employed  in  the  factories 

near  the  church  live  in  the  neighborhood  ? 
Is  child  labor  common? 
What  is  the  social  condition  of  the  children? 
What  is  the  general  character  of  the  homes  ? 
Is  there  overcrowding  in  the  tenements  ? 
Are  there  many  boarding  houses  near  the  church  ? 
How  many  saloons  within  the  district? 
What  is  the  general  character  of  these  saloons  ? 
To  what  extent  are  they  made  the  meeting-places 

of  various  organizations? 
What  forms  of  amusement  attract  the  people  of 

the  neighborhood  ? 
What  do  the  people  read? 


46  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Are  the  young  men  organized  into  "Social  Clubs"  ? 

To  what  extent  are  the  people  taking  advantage  of 
self-help  institutions  ? 

Are  there  clubs  for  workingmen  in  the  com- 
munity ? 

What  is  the  secret  of  their  success  ? 

Is  Socialism  increasing? 

What  is  the  attitude  of  the  working  people  toward 
the  Church  and  why  do  they  hold  these  views  ? 

All  these  are  questions  which  the  Christian  worker 
in  a  city  parish  should  be  able  to  answer  with  some 
degree  of  authority.  And  this  information  may  be 
secured  only  by  a  thorough  house-to-house  canvass. 

Knowing  one's  field  will  naturally  suggest  the 
needs  of  the  people,  and  this  will  determine  the  gen- 
Aa  accurate  ©ral  character  of  the  work  to  be  under- 
^'^'  taken. 

How  much  institutional  work  shall  be  done  ? 

Just  what  form  shall  it  take? 

What  shall  be  the  character  of  the  evangelistic 
meetings  to  be  attempted? 

Shall  they  be  held  in  the  church  during  the  winter, 
or  under  a  tent  or  on  the  street  during  the  sum- 
mer season? 

Shall  shop  meetings  be  held  ? 

What  about  the  Gospel  Wagon,  "cottage"  meet- 
ings, men's  meetings,  noon-day  meetings? 

Is  it  wise  and  necessary  in  the  Men's  Clubs  to 
discuss  social  and  economic  topics  ? 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  47 

The  answers  to  these  questions  will  be  determined 
by  the  peculiar  conditions  found  in  the  community. 
There  is  no  plan  which  may  be  universally  adopted 
with  success.  Therefore,  every  one  must  decide  for 
himself  just  what  he  should  do,  but  before  any  plan 
may  be  pushed  intelligently,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  know  one's  field. 

n ^EVEEY-DAT   MINISTEATION 

The  Church  must  realize  that  the  ordinary  means 
of  grace  will  not  suflSce  in  the  average  city  mission 
field.  Dozens  of  dead  or  dying  churches  testify  to 
this  fact.  The  people  living  in  such  a  community 
will  look  to  the  Church  for  almost  every  need  in  their 
lives.  Therefore,  if  the  Church  is  to  reach  working 
people,  it  must  touch  them  at  as  many  points  in  their 
lives  as  possible.  The  church  in  the  workingman's 
district  should  be  open  every  night  in  the  week,  and 
a  good  part  of  every  day. 

But  the  work  must  be  entered  into  not  merely  that 
it  may  serve  as  a  bait  to  win  workingmen  to  the 
Church.  Jesus  Christ  did  not  heal  the  Not  a  mere 
sick  in  order  to  have  them  come  to  hear  ^"*" 
Him  preach.  He  healed  them  because  He  had  com- 
passion upon  them  and  because  they  needed  healing. 
We  have  absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter  as 
to  whether  the  work  is  going  to  bring  the  people  to 
our  church;  that  is  not  the  question.  We  are  to 
minister  to  them  because  they  need  our  ministry; 


48  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

remembering  that  the  people  should  be  the  end  of 
our  endeavor  and  not  the  Church. 

The  workingman  will  need  this  ministry  even  after 
he  becomes  a  Christian.  He  has  been  accustomed 
to  going  to  the  saloon,  or  to  the  cheap  theatre,  or  to 
the  club,  or  to  some  other  place  to  which  we  now 
tell  him  he  must  not  go,  because  he  has  become  a 
Christian.  He  has  not  the  resources  within  himself 
that  some  other  people  have.  He  is  not  accustomed 
to  reading.  He  has  barely  gotten  into  that  atmos- 
phere which  will  restrain  him  and  help  him  and  build 
him  up.  He  is  having  the  struggle  of  his  life. 
Some  of  us  may  say  that  if  a  man  is  a  Christian  he 
will  not  be  so  tempted.  But  most  of  us  will  humbly 
confess  that  it  requires  all  the  grace  that  God  gives 
us  to  keep  from  doing  the  things  that  we  ought  not  to 
do,  and  to  do  the  things  that  He  wants  us  to  do. 
What  can  we  say  for  the  workingman  who  has  not 
had  the  advantages  that  many  of  us  have  enjoyed? 

Ill ^AGGEESSIVE    EVANGELISM 

If  the  Church  is  to  win  the  masses  it  must  preach 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  aggressively  and  with 

G«n  rai  in-  enthusiasm.  The  day  has  gone  by,  if 
vitationnot       ever  there  was  such  a  day,  when  we  can 

°^  '  hang  a  sign  outside  our  church  door,  that 

reads:  "Seats  free,  everybody  welcome,"  and  then 
expect  the  people  to  come  in.  They  will  not  come. 
Furthermore,  there  is  not  a  command  in  Scripture 
for  the  unconverted  man  to  go  to  church.     He  is  in- 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  49 

vited  to  come  to  Jesus  Christ  and  to  accept  the  gift 
of  eternal  life  which  He  has  to  offer.  It  is  after  he 
becomes  a  Christian  that  he  is  told  not  to  forget  "The 
Assembly  of  the  Saints,"  etc.  Those  passages  that 
come  to  your  mind  with  regard  to  church  attendance 
refer  to  the  Christian  man  and  not  to  the  uncon- 
verted man.  Of  course,  in  the  meantime,  he  is  not 
exempt  from  the  penalty  of  rejecting  Jesus  Christ, 
and  he  cannot  be  made  comfortable  by  this  statement, 
and  after  he  becomes  a  Christian  the  same  obligation 
rests  upon  him ;  but  until  he  does  become  a  Christian 
there  is  no  specific  command  for  that  man  to  go  to 
church. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  find  command  after  com- 
mand for  the  Christian,  the  church-member,  to  go 
out  upon  the  highways  and  hedges  and  Christ's  00m- 
compel  them  to  come  in — to  come  into  ™*°*  &oye.' 
the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ.  Do  you  not  see  what 
this  means  ?  It  means  that  the  whole  responsibility 
with  regard  to  this  question  rests  upon  you  and  upon 
me,  and  if  some  man  outside  of  the  Church  does  not 
hear  about  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  because  some  man  in- 
side the  Church  is  failing  to  do  his  duty.  Sometimes 
it  is  said  that  it  is  the  fault  of  the  workingman  that 
he  does  not  go  to  church.  Suppose  that  it  is.  Was 
not  the  Church  established  for  faulty  people?  The 
hospital  might  say,  with  as  much  reason,  to  its  in- 
mates :  "We  can  do  nothing  for  you  because  you  are 
sick,"  as  for  the  Church  to  say  to  the  masses  of  the 
people,  "We  can  do  nothing  for  you  because  you  are 


5©  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

at  fault."  The  greater  their  fault,  the  greater  be- 
comes our  responsibility  in  the  matter  of  reaching 
them  with  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

We  have  absolutely  no  excuse  in  this  matter.  The 
whole  thing  must  be  met  by  the  Church.  It  is  not 
so  much  a  question  as  to  whether  the  workingman 
goes  to  the  Church  as  it  is  whether  the  Church  goes 
to  the  workingman.  Either  we  must  admit  that  the 
Church  is  equal  to  this  problem,  or  else  we  must 
confess  that  the  Church  is  a  failure.  If  the  work- 
ingman does  not  go  to  church,  we  must  take  the 
church  to  him, — into  the  shop  at  the  noon-hour,  under 
the  tent  during  the  summer  season,  out  upon  the 
streets  where  people  gather. 

IV HIGH-GEADE   LEADERS 

In  this  problem  of  reaching  the  city's  masses,  the 

most  important  thing  is  to  get  the  right  kind  of  men 

„  to  lead  in  the  movement.     Methods  are 

Men  more 

important  than  important,  but  more  important  is  the 
man  behind  the  method.  Given  the  man 
with  the  right  spirit,  and  the  method  is  a  decidedly 
secondary  matter.  The  best  brain  of  the  world  is 
giving  itself  to  the  solution  of  the  economic  aspects 
of  the  labor  question.  Is  it  not  the  part  of  wisdom 
for  the  Church  to  display  her  statesmanship  by  first 
recognizing  the  fact  that  there  is  an  aspect  of  this 
question  with  which  she  is  concerned,  and  then 
squarely  trying  to  meet  it  ? 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  51 

Furthermore,  success  in  this  work  is  a  question 
of  flesh  and  blood,  rather  than  a  financial  problem. 
Sometimes  you  can  buy  it,  and  those  who  „ 
have  the  money  are  putting  most  of  it  important  than 
into  men  and  women.  Meanwhile,  a  ^°^^^' 
large  company  of  our  brightest  workers  are  volunteer- 
ing their  services  in  the  social  settlement  and  self- 
culture  club,  because  we  haven't  asked  them  to  give 
it  to  the  Church.  Just  here  is  the  opportunity  of 
the  Church  in  its  great  social  as  well  as  its  religious 
work.  Let  us  secure  the  men  and  the  women  for 
work  in  the  city  fields  on  the  same  principle  and 
with  the  same  consecration,  that  we  find  in  volunteers 
for  service  on  the  foreign  field  and  in  the  social 
settlement. 

There  are  hosts  of  young  people  who  have  volun- 
teered for  service  in  the  foreign  field,  who,  for  vari- 
ous reasons,  have  been  detained  at  home.  May  we 
not  enlist  their  splendid  talents  in  the  task  of  re- 
deeming the  city  for  Christ? 

When  the  average  church  becomes  impressed  with 
its  duty  toward  a  particular  downtown  district,  it 
usually  plants  in  it  a  "mission,"  most  frequently  on 
a  side  street  and  generally  in  a  dark,  dingy,  dirty 
building.  It  will  put  in  charge  of  this  mission  a 
man  to  whom  it  will  pay  about  six  hundred  dollars 
a  year,  and  he  will  be  expected  to  solve  problems 
that  would  stagger  many  a  six-thousand-dollar  man. 
That  is,  he  will  be  expected  to  solve  certain  kinds 
of  problems  that  make  some  of  us  uncomfortable. 


52  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Then  we  wonder  why  we  are  not  adjusting  the  city 
problem!  Somebody  has  well  said  that  "city  mis- 
sion work  is  the  mired  wheel  of  the  American 
Church." 

There  seems  to  be  an  impression  in  the  Church 
that  anybody  is  good  enough  to  take  the  lead  in  so- 
Oityno  called   "city  mission  work."     It  is  ad- 

^''Zdfor  mitted  that  the  field  is  in  some  ways 
incompetents,  a  difficult  one,  but  by  many  it  is  supposed 
to  be  simply  a  training  school  for  practical  work  for 
the  young  minister  fresh  from  the  seminary.  Just 
as  soon  as  he  has  gotten  rid  of  some  of  his  crude- 
ness  through  practice  among  or  upon  his  city  mission 
constituency,  the  minister  is  said  to  be  ready  for  a 
"larger"  work.  It  is  a  field,  some  imagine,  which 
invites  the  man  who  cannot  successfully  hold  a  con- 
gregation in  a  church  situated  in  the  average  church- 
going  community.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  man 
who  cannot  hold  a  congregation  in  a  residence  neigh- 
borhood church,  will  be  a  miserable  failure  in  the 
downtown  church.  Instead  of  sending  our  best  men 
to  the  churches  on  the  avenue,  we  should  send  them 
to  the  city  mission  fields  that  demand  the  very  best 
that  God  ever  gave  any  man. 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  send  the  young  theologue 
down  to  the  mission  field.  The  experience  will  bring 
him  into  closer  touch  with  human  life  than  he  will 
ever  get  in  the  uptown  church,  and  it  will  broaden 
his  sympathies.  But  to  consider  the  work  as  a  life 
occupation  beneath  him,  is  a  mistake.     During  a 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  53 

time  of  war  we  send  the  best-equipped  men  to  occupy 
the  strategic  points,  no  matter  what  the  conditions, 
and  the  true  soldier  always  responds.  Why  does 
the  Church  send  her  poorest  and  least  experienced 
men  to  the  front  of  the  battle  in  our  great  cities? 
Perhaps  our  system  of  paying  salaries  is  wrong. 
Possibly  it  would  be  better  to  have  the  minister's 
salary  come  out  of  a  common  fund  in  a  particular 
city  organization  composed  of  a  group  of  churches, 
something  after  the  manner  of  the  collegiate  church 
idea. 

Whatever  the  method  adopted,  something  should 
be  done,  in  fairness  to  the  talented  man  who  is  willing 
to  give  his  life  to  the  masses  in  the  down-        ^^^^ 
town  districts,  to  keep  him  from  being     of  talented 
dependent   upon   the    people   whom   he 
serves.     It  is  well  enough  to  say  that  the  consecrated 
man  should  go  into  this  work,  even  though  he  is  not 
liberally  supported.     It  will  be  observed  that  this  is 
said,  as  a  rule,  by  those  who  should  go  themselves, 
or  by  those  who  are  doing  practically  nothing  to 
advance  the  cause  of  Christ  among  the  masses,  or 
those  who  have  other  means  of  support  while  they 
are  doing  it. 

Sometimes  those  who  have  no  talent  of  their  own 
to  sacrifice,  are  quite  willing  to  sacrifice  that  of 
some  one  else.  And  yet  there  is  a  great  truth  in  this 
statement.  No  man  will  ever  be  really  successful  in 
Christ's  work  without  the  spirit  of  consecration  and 
sacrifice.     There  are  some  men,  however,  who  are 


54  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

thoroughly  consecrated  to  the  hardest  kind  of  city 
mission  work  in  spite  of  a  comparatively  comfort- 
able salary.  The  freedom  from  care  with  regard 
to  the  support  of  their  families,  and  the  ability  to 
supply  the  needs  of  their  people,  which  means  for- 
merly came  out  of  their  meagre  salaries,  have  not 
taken  away  the  simple  devotion  to  their  work. 

Spirit  Animating  the  Church 

But  having  done  all  these  things,  we  must  reckon 
with  some  other  important  considerations.  There 
are  some  things  about  the  Church  itself  which  must 
be  right  before  we  can  continue  to  hold  the  people, 
even  after  they  have  been  won  to  Christ.  For  there 
is  a  very  real  difference,  sometimes,  between  win- 
ning a  man  to  Christ  and  winning  him  for  the 
Church.  While  the  first  is  by  all  means  the  most 
essential,  both  should  be  accomplished  by  the  true 
Church.  What  are  some  of  the  things  that  will 
attract  the  city's  masses  if  the  Church  is  to  win  them 
permanently  ? 

I AN    ABSOLUTE    SINCEEITT 

First,  they  must  find  in  the  Church  an  absolute 

sincerity.     Betrayed  so  often  by  those  who  posed  as 

-        .        his  friends  and  made  to  feel  that  all 

Frequent 

betrayal  cause     business  is  a  trick  of  which  he  is  the 

of  suspicion!  ....  ■,  ■,  ■, 

Victim,  it  IS  not  strange  that  the  work- 
ingman  has  become  suspicious  of  those  who  express 
a  desire  to  promote  an  enterprise  in  his  interest. 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  55 

Sometimes  the  very  men  who  were  active  in  the 
political  party  or  the  business  deal  that  brought  bit- 
terness to  his  soul  also  stood  high  in  the  councils  of 
the  Church.  Unfortunately,  this  fact  has  been  ex- 
ploited in  the  labor  press  and  upon  the  platform  of 
the  labor  meeting  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  the 
average  workingman  believe  that  all  capitalists  or 
employers  who  are  in  the  Church  are  of  the  same 
type  of  deceivers.  It  is  a  fine  thing  that  there  are 
some  Christian  business  men  whose  lives  and  work 
stand  out  so  conspicuously  that  they  give  the  lie  to 
this  miserable  slander.  Were  it  not  so,  it  would 
make  our  task  very  much  more  difficult. 

Frequently  the  workingman  has  become  suspicious 
of  the  motives  that  prompted  the  Church  in  her 
efforts  in  his  behalf.     Was  it  simply  be-      ^ 
cause  the  Church  realized  that  she  had    motive  some- 

.  ■,  1.  11         times  alienateSi 

lost  her  grip  on  the  workingman  that  she 
found  it  necessary  to  proclaim  her  friendship  for 
him  ?  Is  the  Church  really  interested  in  him  for  his 
own  sake,  or  does  she  engage  in  this  work  so  that  she 
may  proclaim  to  the  world  with  a  sense  of  self- 
satisfaction  that  "our  Church"  has  won  the  favor 
of  the  masses  ?  If  the  Church  has  any  other  motive 
than  the  one  which  impelled  Christ  to  give  Himself 
for  the  world,  she  is  deceiving  nobody  but  herself. 

II A   GEEATEE   DEMOCEACY 

Second,  working  people  will  be  permanently  a,ir 
tracted  to  the  Church  by  a  greater  democracy. 


^6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Does  anybody  imagine  that  the  patronage  and  the 
paternalism  which  are  so  conspicuous  in  the  average 
church  mission,  appeal  to  the  workingman?  While 
some  kind  of  a  mission  enterprise  is  necessary  in  con- 
nection with  our  city  work,  it  must  not  be  supposed 
that  soup  kitchens,  free  lunches,  and  other  favorite 
forms  of  charity  can  ever  take  the  place  of  the  spirit 
of  brotherhood  or  the  genius  of  democracy. 

Some  of  us  are  fond  of  saying  that  the  people  in 

the  mission  have  the  same  rights  of  membership  that 

rr       V    V    those  in  the  home  church  possess.     But 

Home  onuToh  ^ 

membeisiiip       suppose  that  they  should  exercise  those 

'  rights ;  would  there  not  be  a  panic  in  the 

home  church  ?     As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  are  rarely, 

if  ever,  informed  of  its  business  meetings ;  they  have 

no  say  in  the  matter  of  the  selection  of  the  pastor 

or  the  officers,  either  in  the  home  church  or  in  the 

mission  which  they  attend.     Neither  have  they  a 

right  to  say  how  the  money  which  they  themselves 

contribute  shall  be  expended.     Their  contributions 

may  not  amount  to  very  much,  but  they  are  theirs. 

The  average  mission  as  a  means  for  reaching  work- 

ingmen  is  a  failure.     It  may  reach  the  children,  and 

.  sometimes  it  will  attract  some  of  the 

Average 

ohnrch  mission    women,  but  the  mission  which  has  made 

a  failure.  •  j>  i  •  i 

a  conspicuous  success  oi  reachmg  work- 
ingmen  is  very  rare.  When  it  has  been  done,  it  was 
due  to  the  strong  personality  of  the  leader.  The 
workingman  will  be  attracted  by  the  church  in  which 
he  has  a  part  in  the  government, — the  church  which 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  57 

he  can  really  call  his  own.  That  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  the  workingman  will  ask  the  right 
to  attend  the  rich  man's  church.  He  probably  would 
not  feel  at  home  there.  This  is  but  natural.  But 
why  cannot  the  rich  church  enter  into  some  kind  of 
a  collegiate  relationship  with  the  workingman's 
church,  putting  its  money  into  an  enterprise  which 
is  supporting  the  regular  church  work,  but  which  is 
incapable  of  meeting  the  social  and  physical  needs 
of  the  community  on  account  of  the  poverty  of  its 
members  ?  This  could  be  done  without  in  any  sense 
pauperizing^he_workers^  and  it  should  be  done  upon 
the  same  principle  that  the  same  church  endows  or 
assfsts  a  college  or  any  other  institution  for  the 
beftenhg  of  mankind.  This  plan  would  obviate 
most  of  the  unfavorable  features  in  connection  with 
ordinary  city  mission  work. 

But  more  important  than  the  giving  of  money  is 
the  necessity  of  rendering  personal  service  in  the 
interest  of  a  greater  democracy  in  the  Personal  serv- 
Church.  In  Englandand  in  our  own  ^3""' 
country  many  of  the  brightest  young  men  conditions. 
of  the  so-called  upper  classes  are  devoting  themselves 
to  the  task  of  bringing  to  the  rich  and  the  privileged 
classes  a  realization  of  their  duty  and  their  oppor- 
tunity in  the  coming  democracy.  Already  large 
numbers  of  these  are  standing  for  a  squarer  deal  to 
the  working  classes.  Working  people  are  becoming 
impressed  with  the  spirit  manifested  by  the  residents 
in   social  settlements  in  this  respect.     The   social 


58  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

settlement  believes  in  the  democracy.  At  any  rate, 
it  is  saying  so,  and  there  are  enough  men  in  the  move- 
ment who  do  actually  believe  in  it  to  make  working- 
men  believe  in  their  sincerity. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  most  of  these  ex- 
ponents of  democracy  are  connected  with  the  Church. 
Presumably,  then,  the  Church  also  believes  in  it. 
Is  it  asking  too  much  that  we  give  clearer  evidence 
of  this  belief?  N'early  every  legislative  body  in 
civil  and  political  life  has  its  representation  of  work- 
ingmen.  This  is  due  almost  entirely  to  the  agitation 
of  the  working  people  themselves.  The  most  con- 
spicuous result  of  this  agitation  is  the  elevation  of 
John  Burns,  the  English  labor  leader,  to  a  position 
in  the  cabinet. 

But  analyze  the  make-up  of  our  presbyteries,  gen- 
eral assemblies,  conferences,  and  associations.  With- 
Lack  of  out  having  accurate  information  at  hand, 

Ohurch^a''^  "^  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  say  that  the  work- 
counoiiB.  ingmen  in  our  churches  are  not  properly 

represented  in  these  judicatories.  They  are  present 
in  some  of  our  churches,  but  rarely  do  they  reach  even 
the  lower  courts  of  the  Church.  When  they  do  reach 
them,  they  are  present  in  such  small  numbers  and 
they  are  so  inconspicuous  that  nobody  thinks  of  ap- 
pointing or  electing  them  either  on  important  com- 
mittees or  to  the  higher  courts.  The  result  is  that 
our  church  legislation  is  largely  influenced  by  a  par- 
ticular class,  however  unintentional  this  may  be. 
iN'othing  would  impress  workingmen  more  than  the 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  59 

knowledge  that  some  of  their  own  number  had  been 
elected  to  this  high  privilege.  Before  entering  the 
ministry,  I  served  eight  years  as  a  machinist  in  a 
shop  that  employed  two  thousand  men.  While  thus 
employed,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
in  the  city  in  which  I  lived  requested  me  to  serve 
on  its  board  of  management,  although  I  was  not  a 
member  of  the  association,  because  I  could  not  afford 
to  pay  the  annual  membership  fee.  When  I  came 
to  the  shop  the  morning  after  my  first  meeting,  and 
told  my  shopmates  that  last  night  I  had  met  with  the 
well-known  business  and  professional  men  who  were 
members  of  the  board,  and  that  my  vote  had  counted 
as  much  as  theirs,  the  men  felt  that  they  had  been 
honored,  because  the  Yoimg  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion had  selected,  not  the  superintendent  nor  the 
foreman,  but  a  dirty,  greasy,  over-ailed  machinist 
from  the  erecting  floor. 

Frankly,  I  could  not  do  very  much  damage  on  that 
board,  because  there  were  twenty-three  men  to  vote 
against  me,  but  the  association  never  made  a  bigger 
hit  with  those  two  thousand  men,  than  when  they 
elected  a  machinist  on  their  board  of  management. 

The  spirit  of  democracy  is  the  strongest  and  most 
conspicuous  element  in  the  organizations  Spirit  of  de- 
with   which   workingmen   are   familiar.    ™°*''*°y"i    , 

o  ^  people's  orgam- 

They  find  it  in  the  labor  union,  in  the    zationa. 
lodge,  in  the  club,  and  in  the  saloon.     They  do  not 
always  find  it  in  the  Church. 


6o  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 


in A   CLEAEER   SOCIAL   MESSAGE 

Third,  the  Church  must  preach  a  clearer  mes- 
sage with  regard  to  the  social  problems  of  the 
day. 

It  has  nothing  to  do  with  social  theories,  but  it 
must  be  concerned  about  the  actual  conditions  which 
Not  theories  Confront  the  workingman  in  his  every- 
'jnCtt^"!  day  life.  The  young  men  in  our  theo- 
masses.  logical  seminaries  study  about  the  social 

life  of  the  Israelites,  the  Perrizites,  the  Hittites,  and 
all  the  other  "ites" ;  and  when  they  become  our  pas- 
tors, they  tell  us  about  the  social  conditions  that  con- 
cerned these  people  who  lived  three  or  four  thousand 
years  ago,  and  we  listen  to  them  with  very  great  in- 
terest. When  foreign  missionaries  return  to  this 
country,  to  tell  us  about  the  condition  of  the  heathen, 
they  frequently  base  their  strongest  appeals  upon  the 
social  life,  the  intellectual  life,  and  the  physical  life 
of  the  heathen.  But  often,  when  a  preacher  in  one 
of  our  American  cities  studies  the  social  life  of  the 
people  in  his  town  and  preaches  about  it,  some  good 
brother  will  calmly  tell  him  that  he  might  better 
preach  the  "simple"  Gospel. 

!N"evertheless,  the  preacher  must  apply  the  great 
principles  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  principles  of  right- 
eousness, of  justice,  of  love,  and  of  service  to  these 
great  problems.  There  are  many  workingmen  who 
are  to-day  out  of  the  Church,  who  were  once  in  it, 
but  who  withdrew,  they  declare,  because  they  felt 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  6i 

that  the  Church  had  no  message  for  them  in  their 
everyday  needs. 

Some  good  souls  are  very  much  afraid  of  ethical 
preaching.  But  we  have  excellent  authority  for 
such  preaching  in  the  example  given  us  _, , , 

by  the  prophets  and  by  Jesus  Christ  preaching 
Himself.  Some  of  the  people  in  the  "'^^  ^^ 
Church  who  are  retarding  the  progress  of  the  king- 
dom have  undoubtedly  experienced  a  spiritual  con- 
version, but  they  need  to  be  converted  socially. 
Alongside  of  the  present  form  of  evangelism  that  we 
are  hearing  so  much  about,  there  should  be  an  evan- 
gelism which  will  touch  men  more  deeply  in  their 
social  and  their  economic  relations. 

Has  the  Church  no  message  in  behalf  of  the  woman 
that  toils  under  the  most  distressing  conditions? 
Has  she  nothing  to  say  with  reference  to  _  , , 

the  child  that  is  underfed  and  over-  demanding 
worked?  Does  she  not  care  for  those 
who  live  and  work  in  homes  and  shops  which  are  dis- 
gracefully unsanitary?  Yes,  the  Church  does  care, 
we  are  told.  We  all  believe  that  it  does,  or  we 
should  not  be  in  it.  But  can't  we  say  so  more  defi- 
nitely? These  are  the  questions  that  trouble  and 
weigh  down  the  workingman.  Workingmen  do  not 
care  for  a  maudlin  sympathy  which  does  nothing. 
They  are  not  helped  by  resolutions  that  mean  less. 
What  they  desire,  and  what  they  have  a  right  to  ex- 
pect from  the  Church,  is  a  clean-cut  message  and  a 
decisive  action  which  will  actually  help  to  relieve  the 


6a  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

conditions  under  which  many  of  them  are  living. 
And  the  Church  can  do  it. 

A  ministers'  association  in  a  Western  city  recently 
declined  to  briefly  discuss  in  the  pulpits  the  question 
of  the  prevention  of  tuberculosis,  although  the  death 
rate  on  account  of  the  ravages  of  this  disease  was 
frightfully  high,  because,  it  was  declared,  "the  Sab- 
bath is  a  day  of  joy,  and  not  a  day  of  death."  One  is 
reminded  of  the  city  mission  pastor's  reply  to  his 
critical  uptown  ministerial  brother  who  rebuked  him 
because  of  the  radical  methods  which  he  employed  on 
Sunday,  saying  that  "the  Sabbath  is  the  Lord's  day." 
"That  may  be  true  up  where  you  live,"  the  down- 
town minister  answered,  "but  it  is  the  devil's  day 
down  where  I  am." 

If  the  Church  could  grasp  the  tragedy  of  the 
social  conditions  in  our  big  cities,  there  would  be 
more  of  a  readiness  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the 
poor.  Of  this  there  is  no  doubt — the  great  mass  of 
the  toilers  are  waiting  for  the  Church  to  come  to 
their  rescue. 

IV ^A   PROPHETIC    SPIRIT 

Fourth,  the  masses  will  be  attracted  to  the  Church 

when  they  find  in  it  more  of  the  prophetic  spirit. 

Glorious         '^^^  ^^^^  hsLve  most  of  us  been  boasting 

traditions  un-      of  our  glorious  traditions.     The  danger 

aTaiiing.  .^  ^^^^  ^^^  Church  will  hold  herself  aloof 

from  the  movements  which  the  people  themselves  are 
inaugurating,  until  they  have  become  so  strong  and 


Some  Fundamental  Principles  6^ 

imtil  the  justification  for  their  existence  has  become 
so  self-evident,  that  there  will  no  longer  be  any  need 
for  her  leadership,  because  these  movements  will 
have  received  the  stamp  of  popular  approval. 

Mr.  Keir  Hardie,  the  foremost  leader  in  the  labor 
movement  in  England,  declared  that  "the  religion 
which  demands  of  an  archbishop  seventeen  hours  a 
day  for  organization,  leaving  no  time  for  a  single 
thought  about  starving  and  despairing  men,  women, 
and  children,  has  no  message  for  this  age." 

The  prophet  of  the  people  must  know  something 
about  the  real  needs  of  the  people.  These  are  rarely 
revealed  in  the  seclusion  of  the  study.  More  fre- 
quently the  vision  comes  in  the  labor  hall,  in  the  fac- 
tory, or  in  the  home.  Some  day  God  will  raise  up 
a  prophet  who  shall  lead  the  millions  of  toilers  to 
Himself.  That  day  shall  reveal  whether  the  labor 
movement  will  capture  the  Church  or  whether  the 
Church  will  capture  the  labor  movement.  Much  will 
depend  upon  whether  that  prophet  shall  come  out 
of  the  organized  Church,  or  whether — as  happened 
two  thousand  years  ago — he  shall  come  from  the 
ranks  of  the  common  people — a  despised  "^N^azarene." 


in 

THE  TRADES-UNIOJSr 

Christianity  Blazing  Labor  s  Way 

The  cloud  on  the  industrial  horizon  has  its  silver 
lining.  For  labor  troubles  come  as  the  result  of  an 
Or  Unit  advancing  civilization.  Social  unrest  is 
"labor  sometimes  an  indication  of  social  prog- 

ress. There  are  no  labor  troubles  in 
"Darkest  Africa."  Curiously  enough,  Christianity 
will  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  introducing 
them. 

The  ancient  philosophers  declared  that  "a  pur- 
chased laborer  is  better  than  a  hired  one,"  "a  work- 
shop is  incompatible  with  nobility."  And  in  accord- 
ance with  these  principles  they  erected  great  prison- 
like structures  in  which  they  hid  away  the  laborer, 
compelling  half  the  world  to  live  in  slavery.  It 
would  make  interesting  reading  to  know  how  that 
"other  half"  lived.  Then  came  Jesus  Christ. 
Standards  changed.  Jesus  discovered  the  individ- 
ual. He  showed  the  world  how  highly  God  values  a 
human  soul.  Men  caught  His  spirit,  with  the  result 
that  in  every  Christian  land  the  standing  of  the 
laborer  has  been  elevated. 

It  was  in  Christianity  that  the  labor  movement 
64 


The  Trades-Union  65 

had  its  rise.  Its  success  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
Christianity  blazed  the  way.  It  needed  the  mission- 
ary of  the  cross;  it  needed  Christian  civilization  to 
go  before  and  prepare  the  foundation.  Then  came 
the  labor  agitator  and  built  upon  the  foundation  laid 
by  Christ  and  His  Church,  many  years  before.  It 
has  taken  a  long  time,  and  conditions  are  not  yet 
ideal ;  but  the  principles  of  Jesus  applied  to  society 
are  responsible  for  the  great  advance  made  by  the 
workingman  since  the  day  that  he  was  a  miserable 
slave.  There  has  been  steady  progress  like  the  irre- 
sistible sweep  of  a  mighty  river.  Eddies  have  been 
formed  which  seem  to  mark  the  backward  course  of 
the  stream.  The  pessimist  has  seen  the  eddy,  and 
points  to  it  as  an  indication  that  there  has  been  only 
a  backward  movement,  indifferent  to  the  fact  that  the 
flood  just  beyond  reveals  true  progress. 

The  pessimist  has  forgotten  that  only  a  few  cen- 
turies ago  human  life  was  counted  so  cheap  that  men 
and  women  were  killed  for  sport.     That        „         , 

^  How  work- 

not  SO  very  long  ago  England  had  upon      ingmen  have 

its  statute  books  over  two  hundred  crimes 
whose  penalty  was  the  death  sentence.  Speak  to 
him  of  the  progress  made  by  working  people,  and  he 
will  fling  into  your  face  the  bitter  argument  of  the 
"anarchist,"  unmindful  of  the  day  when  working- 
men  lived  in  small,  dingy,  foul-smelling  rooms ;  when 
they  slept  in  cellars  and  over  open  drains ;  when  men 
worked  sixteen  hours  every  day  without  being  paid 
for  the  "overtime."     He  has  forgotten  the  time  when 


66  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

manufacturers  were  actually  paid  to  rid  a  parish  of 
pauper  children,  who  then  became  white  slaves; 
when  conditions  were  so  degrading  that  in  many 
cases  full-grown  men  remained  at  home  caring  for 
the  babies  or  mending  stockings,  while  the  women 
were  engaged  at  the  wearing  work  of  the  mill ;  when 
it  was  a  crime  to  increase  the  workingman's  wages 
above  a  certain  amount;  when  workingmen  could  be 
put  into  jail  for  owing  a  storekeeper  ten  cents ;  when 
the  mechanic  received  fifty  cents  for  a  day's  work, 
at  a  time  when  fifty  cents  would  purchase  no  more 
than  it  will  to-day. 

The  increase  in  wages,  the  shortening  of  his  hours 
of  work,  the  multiplication  of  his  comforts,  his  new 
educational  advantages,  his  superior  position  as  a 
citizen  and  a  man — all  these  have  made  the  average 
workingman  a  progressive,  right-thinking  individual. 
Viewed  in  the  light  of  history,  all  this  must  appear 
revolutionary.  Out  of  Christ's  teaching  have  sprung 
the  great  world  movements  which  have  ushered  in 
the  larger  liberty  and  the  fuller  life  which  He  came 
to  proclaim.  The  message  which  the  angels  sang  on 
the  first  Christmas  morning  is  being  taught  more 
widely  than  ever  before. 

It  was  among  the  members  of  the  labor  guilds  of 

the  apostolic  days  that  the  Gospel  had  its  freest 

T  ,.  course.     In  those  days  practically  every 

Labor  moTo-  ^  j     r  j  j 

mentandthe  workingman  belonged  to  the  guild  corn- 
eal y  urc  .  pQggj  Qf  ^Q  TUQu  and  women  of  his  craft. 
It  is  not  unlikely  that  some  of  the  apostles  themselves 


The  Trades-Union  67 

were  identified  with  these  organizations.  This  may 
have  been  especially  true  of  Paul,  who  still  worked 
at  his  trade  as  a  tent-maker,  usually  seeking  out  those 
who  were  of  the  same  craft  when  visiting  a  strange 
city.  As  he  was  dependent  upon  his  trade  for  a 
living,  and  as  he  constantly  travelled  from  place  to 
place,  it  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Paul 
identified  himself  with  an  organization  which  would 
give  him  greater  opportunities  for  gaining  his  sup- 
port. If,  in  connection  with  this  benefit,  there 
might  come  an  opportunity  for  doing  a  larger  service 
among  a  great  class  of  toilers,  it  may  be  that  Paul 
again  "became  all  things  to  all  men,  that  by  all  means 
he  might  win  some,"  following  out  the  principle  of 
his  approach  to  men. 

This  we  know  without  dispute — it  was  among  the 
guilds  of  the  large  cities  which  Paul  visited  that  he 
established  the  churches  whose  names  are  given  us  in 
the  inspired  record.  And  these  very  guilds  of  work- 
ing people  became  centres  for  the  proclamation  of 
the  Gospel. 

Always  have  there  been  organizations  of  working 
people,  born  of  a  desire  to  better  their  social  and 
economic  conditions.  Sometimes  de-  Eight  mil- 
veloped  in  secret  on  account  of  the  lions  strong, 
oppression  of  the  government,  or  the  opposition  of 
the  employing  class,  and  having  its  periods  of  de- 
pression as  well  as  its  times  of  exaltation,  organized 
labor  has  gone  steadily  forward  until  to-day,  through- 
out the  world,  it  is  eight  millions  strong. 


68  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

In  the  United  States  and  Canada  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor  has  a  membership  of  about  two 
and  a  half  millions.  At  the  annual  convention  in 
Minneapolis  in  Ifovember,  1906,  the  President  re- 
ported that  there  were  at  that  time  in  affiliation  with 
the  Federation,  119  International  Unions,  36  State 
Federations,  541  Central  Labor  Bodies,  and  607 
Federal  Labor  Unions,  the  Federal  Labor  Unions  be- 
ing composed  of  men  who,  for  various  reasons,  are 
not  affiliated  with  a  particular  trade,  or  those  com- 
posed of  "laborers."  The  119  International  Unions 
consist  approximately  of  27,500  Local  Unions  of 
their  respective  trades  and  callings.  To  this  num- 
ber must  be  added  the  railroad  Brotherhoods,  which 
are  not  affiliated  with  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor,  the  Industrial  Workers  of  the  World,  and 
several  smaller  national  labor  organizations,  making 
a  total  of  about  three  millions. 

It  has  sometimes  been  insisted  that  the  figures 
given  out  by  labor  organizations  are  an  exaggeration, 
but  it  is  well  known  among  labor  men  that  more  fre- 
quently these  figures  are  apt  to  be  below  the  actual 
membership  than  above  it,  because  they  are  the  basis 
upon  which  the  per  capita  tax  is  levied.  Usually 
only  such  as  are  actually  in  good  standing  are  re- 
ported, although  there  may  be  large  numbers  whose 
dues  have  not  been  paid,  or  who  may  have  been 
temporarily  suspended  for  other  reasons,  who  are 
not  included  in  the  figures  sent  in. 


The  Trades-Union  69 

BelaUon  io  Unorganized  Labor 

Frequently  it  is  asserted  that  in  spite  of  its  large 
membership,  organized  labor  represents  only  a  small 
percentage  of  the  working  people  of  our  p  . 
country.  It  should  be  remembered,  of  workers  in 
however,  that  when  workmg  people  are 
spoken  of  in  this  connection,  it  includes  great  num- 
bers who,  for  various  reasons,  thus  far  have  been 
unorganizable.  According  to  the  census  of  1900, 
there  were  about  29,000,000  persons  engaged  in 
gainful  occupations  in  the  United  States.  But  these 
29,000,000  include,  in  agriculture  10,000^000;  in 
social  and  domestic  service,  6,000,000 ;  in  the  profes- 
sions 1,250,000.  Practically  all  of  these  are  un- 
organizable and  should  be  excluded  from  the  com- 
parison. Included  also  in  the  29,000,000  are  the 
4,7Y8,000  engaged  in  trade  and  transportation.  But 
among  these  are  bankers,  brokers,  merchants,  officials 
of  banks  and  corporations,  bookkeepers,  overseers, 
hucksters  and  peddlers,  livery-stable  men,  under- 
takers, stenographers,  and  miscellaneous  workers  who 
are  also  unorganizable. 

Many  of  these,  however,  are  being  brought  within 
the  ranks  of  organized  labor.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  the  retail  clerks  and  to  school-teachers. 
More  important  than  any  other  movement  was  the 
action  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  at  its 
last  convention  in  receiving  a  group  of  nine  delegates 
from  the  American  Society  of  Equity,  which  repre- 
sents many  of  the  farmers'  organizations  of  the  coun- 


70  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

try.  This  society  is  growing  rapidly,  and  bids  fair 
to  become  the  most  important  organization  of  its 
kind  ever  formed.  If  a  complete  union  between 
these  organizations  is  consummated,  it  will  mean  the 
practical  co-operation  of  the  wage-earning  and  the 
agricultural  interests. 

While  many  workers  are  still  outside  of  labor 
organizations,  it  should  not  be  imagined  that  they 
N  n-nnioEi  ts  ^^^  uccessarily  antagonistic  to  organized 
Dot  necessarily  labor.  Prominence  is  given  to  this  sup- 
antagojuB  o.  position  during  a  time  of  strike,  when  the 
most  bitter  feeling  is  aroused  because  non-union  men. 
are  taking  the  places  of  strikers.  This  is  an  ab- 
normal condition,  and  there  come  forward,  during 
such  a  time,  some  who  may  be  opposed  to  labor 
unions,  although  it  is  not  true  that  every  man  who 
takes  a  striker's  place  is  against  the  striker's  organ- 
ization. There  may  be  many  other  reasons  as  to  why 
he  is  occupying  the  place  of  what  has  been  roughly 
termed  a  "scab."* 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  of  the  principles  of 
organized  labor  are  accepted  by  practically  all  work- 
ing people,  even  by  those  who  are  not  in  the  unions. 
A  wide  experience  among  all  kinds  of  laboring  men 
bears  out  this  statement.  It  is  generally  understood 
among  them  that  these  organizations  are  fighting 
the  battles  of  their  class.     !N"ot  every  man  and  woman 

*  This  disagreeable  term  is  applied  by  trades-unionists,  not  to 
all  non-union  men,  but  only  to  those  who  take  their  jobs  during 
a  controversy  with  their  employers. 


The  Trades-Union  71 

may  belong  to  the  army,  but  they  all  receive  the  bene- 
fits which  come  as  the  result  of  the  army's  fighting. 
They  realize  full  well  that  without  the  labor  union 
their  condition  would  be  infinitely  worse  than  it  is 
to-day,  for  even  the  employer  who  engages  only  non- 
union help  must  treat  that  help  better  because  of 
the  existence  and  the  possible  entrance  of  the  labor 
union. 

Trades-Unions  Permanent  Institutions 

In  spite  of  the  most  strenuous  opposition  on  the 
part  of  employers'  associations  during  the  past  few 
years,  organized  labor — although  much  Good  or  bad 
more  conservative,  perhaps  because  more  '"uonism? 
conservative — is  really  stronger  to-day  than  it  ever 
was.  This  fact  might  better  be  recognized :  the  labor 
union  has  come  to  stay.  It  is  simply  a  question  as 
to  whether  it  is  to  be  a  good  unionism  or  a  bad  union- 
ism. If  the  workingman  is  to  be  deprived  of  his 
right  to  organize,  he  will  be  driven  into  Socialism. 
And  none  enjoy  the  opposition  of  employers  to  trades- 
unionism  more  keenly  than  do  the  Socialists.  As 
between  a  grossly  materialistic  Socialism,  and  a  fair, 
rational  unionism,  it  should  not  take  one  long  to  de- 
cide. The  ignorant  foreigner,  who  is  unacquainted 
with  our  American  institutions,  will  in  all  prob- 
ability be  driven  into  the  worst  form  of  Anarchism. 
Some  men  are  impatient  because  of  the  petty  annoy- 
ances which  they  are  called  upon  to  suffer  by  reason 
of  the  almost  constant  friction  in  the  labor  world. 


72  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Such  must  learn  that  labor,  too,  has  its  just  griev- 
ances, and  that  reason  must  rule  and  justice  prevail 
on  both  sides  before  these  perplexing  problems  can 
be  adjusted. 

In  an  address  delivered  before  the  Commercial 
Clubs  of  Cincinnati,  Boston,  St.  Louis,  and  Chicago, 
Aa  employer's  Franklin  MacVeagh,  a  prominent  em- 
opittion.  ployer  in  the  latter  city,  which  knows  so 

much  about  labor  unionism  in  its  worst  form,  said: 
"Unionism  has  so  much  power  for  good  and  so  many 
possibilities  of  evil,  that  it  must  not  be  dealt  with 
by  employers  as  a  mere  enemy,  notwithstanding  those 
undeniable  occasions  when  unions  must  be  fought 
relentlessly  to  a  finish.  For  the  situation  is  perma- 
nent. It  is  childish  to  think  that  we  can  abolish 
labor  unions;  the  public  opinion  of  all  nations  has 
accepted  them  as  fixtures.  We  must  develop,  not 
abolish  them.  And  the  employers,  as  sure  as  there 
is  moral  responsibility  anywhere  in  the  world,  must 
assume  a  distinct  share  of  the  responsibility  for  the 
increase  of  their  usefulness  and  for  the  correction 
of  their  faults.  And  we  come  a  long  way  toward 
progressive  unions  whenever  employers  deal  with 
them  as  friends." 

^Nothing  is   ever  gained  by  inere   denunciation. 

The  time  has  come  for  a  saner  study  of  what  Carlyle 

8  Wtani-       ^^^  Called  "the  universal  vital  problem  of 

mating  oritd-      the  world."  Ordinarily,  trades-unionism 

is  judged  by  a  newspaper  item  which  had 

its  birth  in  an  insignificant  strike  event,  but  which 


The  Trades-Union  73 

was  nurtured  by  the  irresponsible  reporter  of  a  sen- 
sational newspaper. 

Sometimes  the  story  of  tyranny  or  lawlessness 
practised  by  some  trades-unions  is  true,  but  this  law- 
lessness is  not  an  essential  part  of  trades-unionism, 
any  more  than  "class  rushes"  or  "hazing"  are  es- 
sential parts  of  the  college  curriculum.  These  are 
extraneous  and  incidental.  Labor  unions  are  not 
ideal.  But  neither  is  the  Church  ideal.  Is  it  neces- 
sary to  insist  that  because  these  institutions  are  not 
just  what  their  truest  friends  and  their  most  con- 
scientious leaders  desire  them  to  be,  they  should  both 
be  abolished  ?  Somewhere  a  wise  man  has  said  that 
"it  is  better  to  understand  one's  enemy  than  to 
silence  him."  Assuming,  for  the  moment,  that 
everything  said  against  the  labor  unions  is  true, 
nevertheless,  it  would  be  well  for  students  and 
Christian  workers  to  study  the  statements  and 
the  arguments  of  trades-unionists  themselves. 
There  is  unquestionably  another  side  to  the 
story. 

Organized  Labor's  Defence 

They  tell  us,  for  instance,  that  the  manager  or 
superintendent  of  a  great  corporation  who  refuses 
to  deal  with  the  elected  representatives      ™        , 

r  The  employ- 

of  the  trades-union  who  may  not  be  in  the    ew'  "walking 
employ    of    the    corporation    sometimes 
fails  to  realize  that  he,  himself,  is  the  elected  or 
appointed  representative  of  a  number  of  stockhold- 


74  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ers,  thus  practically  becoming  the  business  agent,  or 
"walking  delegate,"  of  his  corporation. 

The  unions  do  not  demand  equal  earnings  for  all 
workmen,  thus  reducing  the  skilled  workmen  to  the 
level  of  the  lowest, — as  is  so  often  insisted.  They 
do  insist  that  a  minimimi  or  living  wage  be  paid, 
but  there  is  nothing  in  the  laws  of  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor  or  any  of  its  afl&liated  unions 
that  prevents  an  employer  from  paying  any  employe 
as  much  more  as  he  pleases.  K'or  in  connection  with 
this  do  the  unions  insist  upon  the  employment  of 
incompetent  men.  Where  agreements  exist,  the  em- 
ployer can  hire  any  man  he  pleases  in  compliance 
with  the  terms  of  the  agreement.  Where  no  agree- 
ment exists,  the  union  exercises  no  jurisdiction  in 
the  matter,  but  in  either  case  the  employer  has  every 
right  to  discharge  the  incompetent,  shiftless  employe. 

The  American  Federation  of  Labor  does  not  draw 
the  color-line,  nor  do  its  affiliated  national  and  inter- 
national unions.  A  union  that  does  can- 
not be  admitted  into  affiliation  with  this 
body.  A  portion  of  the  pledge  taken  by  every  can- 
didate for  membership  reads:  "I  promise  never  to 
discriminate  against  a  fellow-worker  on  account  of 
color,  creed,  or  nationality."  Colored  men  are  some- 
times rejected,  but  there  is  no  imjust  discrimination 
in  such  cases,  as  white  men  are  more  often  treated 
in  a  like  manner.  Even  in  the  South,  where  race 
hatred  is  so  prevalent,  the  negroes  have  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  trades-unions,  while  they  have  been 


The  Trades-Union  75 

barred  from  other  organizations  that  are  antagonistic 
to  organized  labor.  The  color  barriers  have  been 
broken  down  by  labor  unions,  and  not  his  color  but 
his  character  bars  a  negro  when  he  is  barred. 

Trades-unionism  does  not  antagonize  labor-saving 
machinery.  It  welcomes  all  such  innovations.  It 
does  believe,  however,  that  such  machinery  was  in- 
tended to  be  a  blessing,  and  in  order  that  it  may  not 
become  a  curse  a  shorter  workday  is  advocated,  so 
that  a  large  proportion  of  labor  shall  not  be  displaced 
and  thus  become  sufferers  instead  of  recipients  of 
some  of  the  benefits  gained  by  modern  inventions. 

Trades-unionism  insists  that  it  is  not  a  labor  trust. 
A  trust  excludes  the  many  for  the  benefit  of  the  few. 
Except  in  very  rare  instances — and  then  in  only  a 
few  unimportant  trades — trades-unionism  opens 
wide  its  door  to  every  workingman  in  the  craft,  fre- 
quently reducing  or  abrogating  the  initiation  fee  in 
order  to  make  it  easier  for  the  candidate.  A  trust 
is  a  close  corporation ;  a  trades-union  diligently  seeks 
new  members.  Its  officers  are  not  high-salaried 
officials.  They  are  usually  underpaid,  when  one 
considers  the  character  of  the  work  and  the  other  de- 
mands which  are  made  upon  them.  The  business 
agent  of  a  labor  union  usually  receives  as  his  salary 
only  the  rate  of  wages  which  prevails  in  his  craft. 
The  international  officers,  who  carry  great  responsi- 
bilities, which  demand  executive  ability  of  a  high 
order,  receive  only  what  is  paid  an  ordinary  clerk  in 
the  office  of  a  corporation.     It  will  be  interesting  to 


76  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

note  that  the  term  "walking  delegate"  had  its  origin 
in  the  action  of  a  New  York  labor  union  which 
refused  to  pay  the  car-fare  of  its  business 
agent. 

The  "walking  delegate"  does  not  have  unlimited 
power  in  the  matter  of  calling  a  strike.  The  men  do 
The  "walking  iiot  blindly  foUow  his  dictates.  The 
delegate."  business   agent,   as   the   "walking   dele- 

gate" is  known  in  labor  union  circles,  can  order  a 
strike  only  when  the  question  has  been  voted  upon 
by  the  members  of  the  union.  He  then  simply  an- 
nounces the  strike.  Sometimes  he  is  given  power 
to  order  a  strike  by  the  men  themselves,  in  an  ex- 
traordinary case,  but  even  under  such  circumstances, 
the  action  must  be  endorsed  by  those  directly 
concerned.  It  is  not  his  business  to  stir  up  trouble 
for  peaceably  inclined  workingmen.  He  is  consid- 
ered the  most  successful  business  agent  who  keeps 
his  men  at  work.  Frequently  he  winks  at  open  vio- 
lations of  stipulated  agreements  on  the  part  of  the 
employer,  in  order  to  prevent  a  strike.  He  is  really 
the  "pastor"  of  his  union.  He  visits  the  sick,  he 
finds  work  for  the  unemployed,  he  cares  for  those  in 
distress  of  any  kind. 

The  officials  of  organized  labor  are  usually  men  of 
good  character.  As  in  all  other  organizations,  unde- 
Oliaracter  of  sirable  men  will  at  times  succeed  in  se- 
labor  leaders,  curing  an  office,  but  in  the  democratic 
labor  movement  such  men  can  be  easily  removed,  and 
are    removed.     Many    of    these    officers,    business 


The  Trades-Union  77 

agents,  local  oflBcials,  and  officials  of  national  and 
international  unions  are  members  and  officers  in  the 
various  churches. 

I  sat,  one  day,  in  the  office  of  a  labor  paper  in  a 
Western  city,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  six  men 
casually  dropped  in  to  see  the  editor  about  matters 
of  business.  I  discovered  that  every  one  of  these 
men  was  either  a  member  or  officer  of  some  church 
in  that  city. 

Some  time  ago,  at  a  conference  of  ministers,  to 
which  had  been  invited  the  most  representative  man 
in  the  Trades  Assembly  of  that  city,  it  transpired 
that  this  representative  was  one  of  the  most  active 
churchmen  in  town. 

The  presidents  of  several  labor  unions  which  I 
have  addressed  are  Presbyterian  elders.  I  recently 
talked  with  three  national  officers  in  three  different 
labor  organizations,  all  living  in  the  same  city,  and  I 
discovered  that  all  three  were  the  most  aggressive 
officers  in  their  particular  churches. 

I  recently  met  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
Adjustment  on  a  great  railroad  system,  who  was  at 
one  time  talked  of  as  the  successor  of  Three  promi- 
Chief  Arthur  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Lo-  ^ent  examples, 
comotive  Engineers.  He  was  then  representing  the 
engineers  of  that  system,  and  he  was  an  active  man 
in  the  Methodist  church  to  which  he  belonged.  His 
wife  was  the  State  President  of  the  Woman's  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union.  He  said  with  emphasis 
(and  in  his  capacity  as  chairman  of  the  Adjustment 


78  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Committee  he  could  speak  with  authority)  that  the 
labor  problem  would  never  be  settled  until  the  prin- 
ciples that  are  taught  by  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
Church  are  applied  to  human  society. 

The  national  treasurer  of  one  of  the  strongest 
labor  federations  in  the  country  is  a  Presbyterian 
elder.  He  has  the  confidence  of  the  entire  associa- 
tion, and  to  him  was  committed,  only  the  other  day, 
one  of  the  most  delicate  tasks  that  had  ever  been  en- 
trusted to  a  labor  leader.  He  was  selected  to  call 
on  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  company 
with  another  official  in  whom  the  association  had  not 
the  same  confidence.  It  was  quite  evident  that  the 
churchman  stood  very  high  in  the  estimation  of  his 
fellow-unionists.  In  the  same  town,  I  met  another 
official  whose  name  is  known  throughout  the  country 
as  one  of  the  most  aggressive  labor  leaders.  When  I 
saw  him  he  was  looking  for  a  preacher  who  could 
conduct  a  service  in  a  little  Baptist  church  in  which 
he  was  interested. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  labor  unions  admit  im- 
moral and  even  vicious  men  to  membership. 
ThevioiouB  Trades-unionists  declare  that  this  charge 
element.  |g  malicious.     Trades-unions  have  char- 

acter qualifications,  and  men  are  required  to  be 
"sober,  steady,  and  industrious  workmen"  before 
membership  can  be  gained.  It  would  be  foolish  to 
assert  that  the  trades-unions  do  not  have  immoral  or 
even  vicious  members,  but  not  to  a  greater  extent 
than  other  organizations  that  are  supposed  to  have 


The  Trades-Union  79 

a  high  standard  of  ethics,  and  to  which  all  classes  of 
people  belong. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  trades-unions  are  di- 
recting their  efforts  to  bring  into  their  ranks  importa- 
tions from  other  countries  that  are  not  always  con- 
sidered desirable.  But  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
employers,  and  not  the  trades-unionists,  are  largely 
responsible  for  the  presence  of  this  class  of  labor  in 
our  country.  If  they  are  good  enough  to  be  brought 
here  and  employed  for  profit  by  the  employers,  and 
by  the  opponents  of  organized  labor,  then — the 
unions  say — it  follows  that  they  must  be  good  enough 
to  organize  into  trades-unions,  and  thus  protect  them- 
selves and  help  and  receive  help  for  man's  social  and 
moral  uplift. 

The  principle  of  the  so-called  "closed  shop"  is  ac- 
cepted in  everyday  business  life;  why  may  not  an 
organization  of  workingmen,  it  is  asked.  The  "closed 
similarly  make  a  bargain  with  an  organi-  ^^°P" 
zation  of  employers?  The  dealer  will  agree  with 
the  manufacturer  to  handle  only  a  certain  kind  of 
goods.  This  is  considered  perfectly  legitimate. 
Why  does  it  seem  unconstitutional  when  precisely 
the  same  bargain  is  entered  into  between  the  em- 
ployer and  his  employes?  The  labor  union  says  to 
the  employer:  "We  will  agree  to  furnish  you  with 
competent  men  at  so  much  per  day.  We  can  control 
the  men  in  our  organization,  so  we  ask  you  to  employ 
only  our  men,  thus  making  your  shop  a  union  shop. 
If  these  outside  men  will  agree  to  make  the  same 


8o  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

contract  with  you  that  we  have  made,  we  shall  be 
glad  to  have  them  come  into  our  organization,  thus 
giving  them  the  same  privileges  that  we  enjoy." 

Trades-unionists  have  come  to  believe  that  the 
average  employer  who  fights  so  strenuously  for  the 
"God-given  right"  of  the  non-union  workingman  to 
exercise  his  privilege  of  remaining  out  of  the  union 
if  he  desires,  declaring  that  his  shop  must  be  an 
"open  shop"  for  free  men,  will  usually  shut  out  the 
man  who  exercised  the  same  God-given  right  by  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  trades-union,  so  that  prac- 
tically his  boasted  "open  shop"  policy  means  a 
"closed  shop"  to  the  unionist. 

But,  it  may  be  argued,  the  trades-union  is  unincor- 
porated, so  that  an  employer  cannot  hold  it  to  its  con- 
•n^      .         tract,  while  he  himself  is  liable  to  dam- 

Wnjimions  '  _       ^ 

are  uninoor-  ages.  This  is  not  wholly  true.  It  is 
well  known  that  an  unincorporated  con- 
cern can  neither  sue  nor  be  sued,  so  that  both  the 
employer  and  the  trades-union  are  on  an  equality  be- 
fore the  law  in  this  respect.  Furthermore,  if  the 
trades-union  were  to  become  incorporated  it  would 
be  a  comparatively  easy  matter  for  an  unscrupulous 
employer  to  hire  a  spy  to  commit  an  act  of  lawless- 
ness which  would  result  in  the  destruction  of  prop- 
erty whereby  the  entire  union  would  become  in- 
volved. A  successful  suit  for  damages  would  prac- 
tically disrupt  the  organization.  If  all  employers 
were  absolutely  honest,  the  incorporation  of  the 
union  might  be  insisted  upon;  but  for  the  reason 


The  Trades-Union  8i 

given  above,  organized  labor  is  naturally  cautious 
about  taking  a  step  which  would  bring  it  practically 
no  advantage,  while  it  would  lay  itself  open  to  the 
assaults  of  its  enemies. 

The  right  to  run  one's  business  as  one  pleases  must 
have  its  limitations.  Great  changes  in  the  concep- 
tion of  personal  and  property  rights  have  come  as 
part  of  the  democratic  evolution.  In  some  respects 
a  man  can  run  his  business  as  he  pleases,  but  in 
other  respects  public  opinion,  and  frequently  public 
law,  steps  in  and  limits  his  exclusive  control.  In  the 
matter  of  employment  it  is  being  recognized  that 
there  are  two  parties  instead  of  one.  A  man  may 
do  as  he  pleases  only  in  so  far  as  that  liberty  does 
not  injure  the  well-being  of  his  fellowmen.  One  may 
not  set  fire  to  his  own  house,  nor  may  he  sell  cigar- 
ettes or  whiskey,  in  some  States,  because  the  exer- 
cise of  that  privilege  might  injure  somebody  else. 

The  non-union  man,  by  accepting  lower  wages  and 
longer  hours,  sets  up  the  standard  of  living  for  the 
entire    craft.     The    trades-unionist   be-  Thenon- 

lieves  that  he  may  degrade  the  men  who  union  man. 
required  years  of  hard  work  to  bring  themselves  up 
to  their  present  social  and  economic  level.  It  is  be- 
cause of  this  fact  that  workingmen  object  so  strongly 
to  Chinese  and  Japanese  immigration.  But  what 
about  the  non-union  man  who  demands  and  receives 
everything  that  the  unionist  asks  for?  Surely,  it 
may  be  said,  he  is  not  degrading  the  workingman. 
The  time  may  come,  however — say  trades-unionists 


82  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

— ^when  the  workingmen  of  his  craft  may  have  a 
grievance  which  will  require  a  united  protest  against 
the  unfair  treatment  of  the  employer.  Outside  of 
the  organization,  that  non-union  man  may  become  a 
menace  to  their  interests  even  though  he  is  receiving 
union  wages  and  working  union  hours.  He  may  be 
used  against  them.  Furthermore,  he  is  receiving  the 
benefit  of  the  years  of  sacrifice  and  hardship  of  his 
fellow-workmen  without  assuming  any  of  the  obliga- 
tions of  the  union.  He  is  quite  willing  to  have 
others  fight  his  battles,  without  subjecting  himself  to 
the  perils  of  the  warfare,  and  frequently  his  con- 
scientious scruples  against  joining  the  labor-union 
consist  simply  of  an  unwillingness  to  assume  these 
obligations. 

Limitation  of  output  is  sometimes  charged  against 
the   trades-union,   but   practically   no    attention   is 
Limitation  of   given  the  regular  meetings  of  manufac- 
outpnt.  turers  and  dealers  in  which  they  openly 

discuss  and  agree  upon  prices  and  the  limitation  of 
their  product  in  order  to  maintain  these  prices.  This 
applies  to  practically  every  great  corporation.  In 
some  industries  the  producer  will  cut  off  the  supply 
of  the  dealer  if  he  sells  the  product  cheaper  than  the 
price  demanded.  Meanwhile  the  same  concern  will 
insist  on  the  workingman's  right  to  sell  HIS  labor 
for  whatever  price  HE  pleases.  Every  storekeeper 
despises  the  merchant  who  cuts  his  prices,  but  he 
will  usually  defend  the  workingman  who  cuts  his. 
Even  some  ecclesiastical  bodies  will  not  permit  a 


The  Trades-Union  83 

minister  to  accept  a  call  to  a  church  unless  the  salary 
to  be  paid  is  up  to  a  stipulated  amount,  although,  of 
course,  they  will  not  prevent  his  preaching  in  that 
church. 

Trades-unionists  are  accused  of  limiting  the  num- 
ber of  apprentices.  It  is  true  that  sometimes  this 
has  been  done  from  a  purely  selfish  mo-  Apprentice- 
tive.  But  they  have  been  compelled  to  stip  question, 
resort  to  this  measure  at  times  because  some  em- 
ployers have  filled  their  shops  with  boys,  who  were 
frequently  kept  at  work  on  a  particular  machine  or 
on  the  same  kind  of  special  work,  which  enabled 
them  to  do  a  man's  work  in  a  year  or  two,  thus  not 
only  depriving  the  full-fledged  mechanic  of  his  posi- 
tion, but,  at  the  end  of  his  apprenticeship,  the  young 
man  found  himself  a  "specialist,"  unable  to  pursue 
his  craft  as  a  journeyman,  and,  therefore,  he  was 
replaced  by  another  boy,  who  would  pass  through  the 
same  experience. 

A  wide  correspondence  on  this  point  has  con- 
vinced me  that  the  statement  that  trades-unions 
are  preventing  American  boys  from  learning  the 
trade  of  their  choice,  has  little  foundation  in  fact. 
Just  as  often  the  employer  is  responsible  for  this 
condition.  In  many  of  the  leading  trades  the  em- 
ployers have  not  engaged  nearly  as  many  boys  as  the 
rules  of  the  union  permit,  often  because  the  union 
insists  that  the  boys  employed  should  really  be  taught 
the  trade. 

In  the  matter  of  piecework,  when  the  employers 


84  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

found  that  bj  hard  spurts  their  employes  could  earn 
a  little  more  than  was  customary,  it  frequently  hap- 
pened that  a  reduction  was  ordered  in  the  piecework 
price,  80  that  soon  this  system  in  many  trades  be- 
came "the  pace  that  kills." 

In  practically  every  instance  where  the  rules  of 
the  labor  union  seem  unjust  or  tyrannical,  the  men 
Occasion  of  have  been  compelled,  in  self-defence,  to 
obnoxious  rules,  establish  such  laws  as  would  guarantee 
them  some  protection  against  further  encroachment 
by  unscrupulous  employers.  The  extra  five  minutes 
at  the  end  of  the  day  in  order  to  "finish  a  job"  be- 
came a  regular  thing,  and  soon  it  lengthened  into  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  or  longer,  while  frequently  a 
protest  brought  only  abuse.  Hence,  the  apparently 
arbitrary  ruling  that  under  no  circumstances  must 
a  man  work  beyond  the  time  limit.  It  is  unfor- 
tunate that  the  fair  employer  must  suffer  with  the 
unfair. 

Moral  and  Ethical  Value 

The  labor-union  has  an  ethical  value  which  is 
rarely  appreciated.  Labor  halls  have  become  social 
centres.  Frequently  helpful  lecture  courses  are 
given.  Social  features,  uplifting  in  character,  are 
often  supported,  and  there  is  a  moral  value  in  the 
regular  meetings  of  the  union.  A  man  soon  realizes 
that  he  cannot  force  a  particular  measure  upon  his 
associates.  He  must  possess  the  facts  and  present 
them.     And  every  man  has  a  fair  chance  to  present 


The  Trades-Union  85 

his  views,  no  matter  how  unpopular  he  or  they  may 
be.  He  learns  the  lesson  of  subordination  to  the  will 
of  others,  which  is  always  a  good  discipline.  He 
learns  the  value  of  brotherhood,  of  co-operation,  of 
team-work.  He  is  sometimes  called  upon  to  make 
real  sacrifices  for  the  sake  of  his  fellows. 

It  frequently  happens  when  it  becomes  known  that 
a  member  of  a  labor-union  who  has  run  into  debt  de- 
sires to  "skip  the  town,"  his  union  will  Eestraint  and 
withhold  his  travelling  card  until  his  "^®^' 
debts  are  paid.  Very  little  has  been  said  to  the 
public  about  the  millions  of  dollars  which  have  been 
expended  in  sick  and  death  benefits  by  trades-unions. 
Typographical  Union  No.  6,  of  !N^ew  York  City, 
known  as  "Big  Six,"  with  a  membership  of  six  thou- 
sand, has  distributed  during  the  past  ten  years  in 
sick,  death,  and  out-of-work  benefits  the  sum  of 
$385,000.  The  national  organization  supports  a 
finely  equipped  home  in  Colorado  for  consumptives. 
The  cigarmakers'  union,  with  a  membership  of 
45,000,  disbursed,  in  1906,  the  sum  of  $467,717  in 
sick  and  other  benefits,  and  during  the  past  twenty- 
seven  years  $7,313,257.29  was  given  to  its  needy 
members.  Earely  does  a  trades-unionist  apply  to 
the  Charity  Organization  Society,  or  any  other  so- 
ciety, for  aid. 

Organized  labor  has  done  much  for  the  cause  of 
temperance  among  workingmen.  There  is  probably 
no  purely  philanthropic  organization  which  has  done 
more  in  this  direction.     In  many  instances  there  is 


86  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

a  prohibition  clause  in  the  contract  with  the  em- 
ployer. The  rules  of  some  unions  declare  that  an  in- 
jured man  will  not  receive  the  weekly  sick  benefit  if 
the  injury  was  sustained  while  he  was  intoxicated. 
More  and  more  labor-union  meetings  are  being  held 
in  halls  which  are  free  from  saloons. 
„    .,   ,  In  his  last  report  to  the  American 

President  ^ 

Gompers'  rec-     Federation  of  Labor,  President  Gompers 

onunendationi  •  -• 

said: 

"There  is  a  constantly  growing  desire  among  our 
membership  to  hold  their  meetings  in  halls  on  the 
premises  of  which  there  is  no  sale  of  intoxicants. 
There  is,  however,  in  nearly  all  centres  a  dearth  of 
sufficient  halls  suitable  for  meeting  rooms  other  than 
those  with  saloon  attachments. 

"In  the  interest  of  sobriety  and  morality,  I  again 
urge  that  this  convention  strongly  recommend  to  our 
affiliated  organizations  throughout  the  country  that 
they  inaugurate  a  movement  which  shall  permit  the 
use  of  our  public  school  rooms  for  the  evening  meet- 
ings of  our  labor  organizations." 

The  Lathers'  International  Union,  at  its  last  an- 
nual convention,  passed  a  resolution  prohibiting 
locals  from  holding  their  meetings  over  saloons. 

The  Federated  Trades  Council,  of  Madison,  Wis- 
consin, unanimously  adopted  a  set  of  resolutions  with 
,         ,  , ,    reference  to  intemperance,  a  portion  of 

A  remarkable  ^  r  7        r 

temperance  which  follows: 

"Whereas,  the  excessive  use  of  intox- 
icating drink  is  detrimental  to  society  in  general,  and 


The  Trades-Union  87 

especially  so  to  those  who  depend  upon  their  daily 
labor  for  means  of  support  for  themselves  and  fami- 
lies, and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles 
to  the  happiness  of  the  toilers  of  this  country ;  there- 
fore, be  it 

"Resolved,  That  the  time  has  come  when  organ- 
ized labor  having  the  advantage  of  concerted  action, 
through  organization,  should  take  the  lead  in  favor 
of  decency  and  sobriety  and  take  a  firm  stand  against 
any  excesses  that  breed  poverty,  lead  to  crime,  and 
destroy  the  happiness  of  the  home ;  and,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That,  realizing  that  'we  are  our  broth- 
ers' keepers,'  we  declare  it  our  duty,  when  seeing  a 
weaker  brother  tempted  to  intoxication,  to  assist  him 
by  precept  and  manly  example  to  resist  the  ruinous 
habit  that  he  may  be  preserved  to  society  as  a  good 
husband,  a  good  father,  and  a  good  citizen." 

Another  article  which  has  been  going  the  rounds 
of  the  labor  press,  bears  the  title,  "The  Union 
Annex  to  the  Saloon."     Here  is  a  part  a  strong 

of  it:  P"*"*' 

"Must  this  mighty  giant — ^labor — demean  itself 
forever  by  carrying  around  upon  its  back  the  saloon, 
as  Sinbad,  the  Sailor,  carried  the  Old  Man  of  the 
Sea  ?  How  long  is  the  ginmill  to  continue  to  be  the 
ante-room  to  the  labor  hall  ?  Come  up  to  the  mourn- 
ers' bench,  boys,  and  tell  the  wholesome  truth! 

"Labor  would  find  a  regeneration ;  the  stimulus  of 
a  greater  conception  of  its  dignity  and  mission  would 
come  to  it,  if  it  would  divorce  its  meeting  halls  from 


88  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

saloons.  Indeed,  if  we  are  to  agitate  for  municipal 
ownership  of  one  thing  in  particular,  it  would  serve 
labor's  interests  better,  and  it  would  be  a  boon  to  so- 
ciety in  general  if  the  erection  and  maintenance  of 
public  meeting  halls  in  each  city  ward  were  to  be  ad- 
vocated and  agitated." 

Many  similar  articles  and  editorials  in  the  issues 
of  a  single  week's  publications  indicate  that  organ- 
ized labor  is  earnestly  seeking  to  break  the  power  of 
the  saloon. 

According  to  the  United  States  Labor  Commis- 
sioner in  the  bi-monthly  report  issued  January,  1905, 
Influence  on  trades-unionism  is  doing  more  to  Amer- 
immigrants.  icanize  the  immigrant  than  any  other  in- 
stitution, not  excepting  the  Church.  It  is  teaching 
him  the  nature  of  the  American  form  of  government. 
In  the  old  country  the  word  government  meant  op- 
pression. He  soon  understands  that  here  it  means 
friend.  In  the  labor  union  he  gets  away  from  his 
clannish  instinct,  which  even  his  religion  has  not  al- 
ways been  able  to  accomplish. 

The  constitution  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of 
America  is  translated  into  nine  different  languages. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  a  Western  labor  union,  it  re- 
quired five  different  interpreters  to  obligate  as  many 
candidates. 

Organized  labor  has  for  years  been  advocating  the 
introduction  of  better  election  laws.  It  was  organ- 
ized labor  that  first  pointed  out  the  evils  in  the  stock- 
yards district  of  Chicago,  which  recently  created  so 


The  Trades-Union  89 

great  a  stir.  Organized  labor  stands  almost  alone  in 
its  demand  that  women  shall  receive  equal  pay  for 
equal  work.     It  has  secured  the  enact- 

,  Other  reforms. 

ment  of  child  labor  laws,  which  are 
saving  the  lives  of  thousands  of  little  ones.  For 
many  years  it  has  been  agitating  the  question  of  uni- 
versal peace.  And  some  day  the  organized  working- 
men  of  the  world  will  stop  the  cruel  wars  between 
nations.  They  will  resolve  that  they  will  no  longer 
go  out  to  kill  their  brothers  in  order  to  satisfy  the 
ambition,  the  selfishness,  and  the  pride  of  their 
rulers.  In  other  words,  they  will  call  a  great  peace 
strike,  and  then  war  shall  cease,  in  spite  of  the  man- 
dates of  rulers  and  legislative  bodies. 

Isolated  cases  may  be  cited  which  seem  to  disprove 
some  of  the  above  statements,  but  the  principles  pre- 
sented are  those  for  which  organized  labor,  as  a 
whole,  stands. 

Because  the  workingman  sees  so  much  that  is  good 
in  organized  labor,  and  because  it  is  so  vitally  con- 
cerned about  his  moral  as  well  as  his  so-  xjnsatisfao- 
cial    and    physical    condition,    we    may    tory  substitute 

.,  ,  ,     ,  -         ,       .  .  for  the  Church, 

easily  understand  that  often  he  imagines 
that  he  has  in  his  labor  union  a  fairly  good  substitute 
for  the  Church.  But  down  in  his  heart  he  has  the  con- 
sciousness that  it  is  a  poor  substitute.  He  may  not 
know  why,  but  he  has  yet  to  learn  the  lesson  that 
there  can  be  no  lasting  service  of  man  outside  the 
service  of  God.  That  there  can  be  no  true  brother- 
hood of  man  without  the  Fatherhood  of  God.     Fre- 


90  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

quently  there  comes  the  suggestion  from  these  dis- 
appointed workingmen  that  the  labor  unions  them- 
selves be  converted  into  religious  organizations,  ad- 
ministered by  officers  taken  from  their  own  ranks. 
This  indicates  how  some,  at  least,  long  for  that  which 
the  labor  union  does  not  provide.  And  herein  lies 
the  hope  of  the  Church. 

Suggested  Methods  of  Work 

I STUDY    THE    AIMS    AND    ASPIRATIONS    OF    TOILERS 

Various  methods  for  reaching  and  helping  work- 
ingmen are  suggested  in  other  chapters,  but  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  at  those  who  are  in  the  ranks  of 
organized  labor,  in  a  general  way,  the  following  sug- 
gestions are  offered : 

First,  make  a  careful  and  a  conscientious  study  of 

organized  labor,  its  aims  and  its  aspirations,  in  the 

„        ,        city  in  which  you  live.     Several  of  the 

Some  note-  •'       ^  "^ 

worthy  recom-    most  important  denominations  have  ex- 

mendationsi  i    .1  1  rr>   •   -11  /• 

pressed  themselves  oincially  as  lavoring 
such  study,  thereby,  also,  indicating  their  interest  in 
the  laboring  man. 

The  National  Federation  of  Churches  which  met 
in  ITew  York  City  in  1906,  said  with  reference  to 
the  labor  question  in  a  resolution  which  was  unani- 
mously adopted : 

"Whekeas^  In  the  Divine  order  of  things  there 
can  be  no  discord  between  labor  and  the  accumulated 
results  of  labor  known  as  capital : 


The  Trades-Union  91 

"Resolved,  That  private  capital  in  every  instance 
ought  to  be  administered  as  a  sacred  trust  for  the 
common  weal — this  not  merely  in  the  distribution  of 
surplus  wealth,  but  also  in  all  the  active,  productive 
uses  of  capital,  the  law  of  God  requiring  not  only 
beneficence  instead  of  corrupting  extravagance,  but 
also  instead  of  greedy  production,  productive 
activities  conducted  on  lines  most  considerate  of 
the  ultimate  well-being  of  the  whole  community 
and  the  immediate  welfare  of  the  immediate 
workers." 

Among  other  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  its  last  national  meeting  with  refer- 
ence to  labor  was  the  following : 

"Recognizing  that  the  need  and  the  right  to  work 
are  fundamental  in  human  society  and  that  much  re- 
mains to  be  done  to  establish  just  relationships  in  the 
industrial  order,  we  urge  our  churches  to  take  a 
deeper  interest  in  the  labor  question,  and  to  get  a 
more  intelligent  understanding  of  the  aims  of  organ- 
ized labor." 

The  Episcopal  Church,  also,  at  its  national  confer- 
ence had  this  to  say : 

"In  the  face  of  a  prejudice  and  an  hostility  for 
which  there  are  serious  reasons,  we  are  convinced 
that  the  organization  of  labor  is  essential  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  working  people.  Its  purpose  is  to  main- 
tain such  a  standard  of  wages,  hours,  and  conditions 
as  shall  afford  every  man  an  opportunity  to  grow  in 
mind  and  in  heart.     Without  organization  the  stand- 


92  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ard  cannot  be  maintained  in  tlie  midst  of  our  present 
commercial  conditions." 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  taken  an  advanced 
step  in  this  matter,  having  established  a  Department 
of  Church  and  Labor,  which  is  in  official  relationship 
with  the  Church,  appointing  as  the  Superintendent 
of  the  department  a  minister  who  is  also  a  trades- 
unionist 

At  a  meeting  of  its  General  Assembly,  the  follow- 
ing resolution  was  adopted : 

"Appreciating  the  increasing  importance  of  the 
industrial  problem,  and  realizing  that  the  labor  ques- 
tion is  fundamentally  a  moral  and  a  religious  ques- 
tion, and  that  it  will  never  be  settled  upon  any  other 
basis,  we  recommend  that  the  Presbyterial  Home 
Mission  Committees  appoint  Sub-Committees  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  systematic  study  of  the 
entire  problem  in  their  respective  localities. 

"These  committees  shall  co-operate  with  the  De- 
partment of  Church  and  Labor,  thus  establishing,  in 
connection  with  the  organized  Presbyterianism  of 
every  city  in  America,  a  board  of  experts,  who  may 
be  able  to  inform  churches  with  respect  to  the  aims 
of  organized  labor,  and  to  inform  the  workingmen 
concerning  the  mission  of  the  Church." 

Other  denominations  have  similarly  expressed 
their  interest  in  the  industrial  problem. 


The  Trades-Union  93 

II OBSEEVE  LABOE  SUNDAY 

Have  your  church  regularly  observe  Labor  Sun- 
day— the  Sunday  before  Labor  Day — ^by  inviting  the 
workingmen  of  your  community  to  attend  special 
services  in  their  interest.  Just  as  Memorial  Day 
and  the  several  "Birthdays"  show  our  appreciation 
of  those  who  rendered  patriotic  service,  and  just  as 
the  churches'  holy  days  do  honor  to  those  who  have 
served  mankind  spiritually,  so  Labor  Sunday  should 
be  observed  by  the  churches  in  honor  of  the  millions 
of  toilers  who  daily  serve  mankind  in  the  humbler 
places  of  life. 

As  the  result  of  an  appeal  made  by  one  denomina- 
tion through  its  eight  thousand  ministers,  more 
"labor"  sermons  were  preached  on  the  Some  inter- 
Sunday  before  last  Labor  Day  than  on  eating  results. 
any  other  single  day  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
Church.  More  workingmen  attended  church  on  that 
Sunday  than  on  any  other  day  since  the  advent  of  the 
modern  trades-union  movement.  On  the  following 
morning,  which  was  Labor  Day,  the  daily  press  in 
practically  every  city  gave  columns  of  space  to  the 
sermons,  which  were  eagerly  read  by  workingmen, 
who  would  naturally  be  interested  in  knowing  what 
ministers  had  to  say  with  regard  to  their  problems. 
The  favorable  comments  of  the  labor  press  of  the 
country  indicated  that  the  impression  made  was 
good.  In  several  cities  the  labor  editors  secured  en- 
tire sermons  from  the  pastors,  printing  them  in  full. 


94  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Literally  millions  of  leaflets  were  sent  out  among 
workingmen  on  that  day. 

Central  Labor  Unions  passed  resolutions  to  attend 
church  in  a  body.  In  many  cases  they  met  in  their 
Labor  unions  halls  and  marched  in  procession  to  the 
respond.  church.     Preachers  were  invited  to  re- 

peat the  address  to  local  unions.  Invitations  were 
received  to  come  to  the  shops  for  noon-hour  meetings. 
Special  workingmen  ushers  and  special  workingmen 
choirs  assisted  in  the  service.  For  the  first  time 
some  Christian  workingmen  came  out  in  their  shops 
as  church  members  as  they  invited  their  fellows  to 
the  "labor  meeting"  in  their  churches.  Some  minis- 
ters discovered  the  great  opportunity  they  had  been 
missing,  in  mingling  with  the  men  in  the  shops,  the 
mines,  and  the  mills.  Many  were  invited  to  address 
Labor  Day  assemblies,  when  they  spoke  to  thousands 
of  workingmen  and  their  families. 

Both  sides  discovered  that  each  had  been  misun- 
derstanding the  other.  Many  a  preacher,  in  his 
study,  preparatory  to  the  service,  got  a  new  vision  of 
what  the  labor  movement  stands  for,  and  many  a 
workingman,  listening  to  his  Labor  Day  address, 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  purpose  of  the  Church  of 
which  he  had  never  dreamed.  Many  an  employer, 
who  had  not  studied  very  deeply  into  the  history  or 
the  object  of  the  labor  movement,  got  a  broader  con- 
ception of  what  it  all  means  because  of  what  was  told 
him  on  Labor  Sunday  by  the  preacher.  Many  an 
employe,  whose  whole  thought  had  been  that  the 


The  Trades-Union  95 

labor  question  was  purely  a  question  of  wages  and 
hours,  saw  that  there  were  moral  issues  involved 
which  affected  him  as  well  as  they  affected  his  em- 
ployer. These  things  will  help  bring  about  a  better 
understanding  between  men.  Surely  that  is  the 
first  essential  to  the  doing  of  one's  full  duty  toward 
his  fellows.  And  that  will  help  settle  the  labor 
question. 

Ill USE  THE  LABOE  PEESS 

Write  brief  articles  for  the  local  labor  press.  If 
you  have  a  message  for  men,  there  will  be  an  imme- 
diate response  to  your  appeal.  Do  not  study  labor's 
preach.  Do  not  moralize.  Talk  straight  ^*e'**^«- 
to  the  men,  without  apology,  and  without  patronage. 
Before  attempting  this  work,  however,  it  would  be 
well  to  make  a  careful  study  of  the  paper,  and  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  editor,  so  that  you  may 
catch  something  of  the  spirit  and  the  purpose  of  the 
editorial  policy.  This  method  presents  a  splendid 
opportunity  for  speaking  weekly  to  thousands  of 
men  who,  otherwise,  might  not  be  reached  by  any 
regular  agency  of  the  Church. 

A  "press  bureau,"  furnishing  labor  papers  with 
original  articles  which  present  the  view-point  of  the 
Church  with  reference  to  the  labor  ques-  one  church's 
tion,  and  discussing  the  workingman's  re-  experience. 
lation  to  the  Church,  is  a  part  of  the  general  plan  of 
the  Department  of  Church  and  Labor  of  one  of  the 
Home  Mission  Boards.     In  this  way  the  department 


96  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

has  been  speaking  weekly  to  nearly  three  million 
trades-unionists  and  their  families,  thus  making  an 
audience  of  at  least  ten  millions.  Every  leaflet  sent 
out  by  the  department  has  been  printed  in  this  series. 
It  has  been  an  inexpensive  way  of  getting  informa- 
tion to  workingmen.  If  this  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions were  compelled  to  print  in  leaflet  form  the  mat- 
ter which  is  being  sent  to  the  labor  press,  and  to  pay 
the  mail  and  express  charges  which  would  be  neces- 
sary in  order  to  send  it  to  the  workers  in  the  Church, 
it  would  cost  the  Board  more  each  week  than  it 
costs  to  run  the  entire  department  for  a  whole  year. 
More  literature  is  being  sent  to  the  unchurched  work- 
ingmen of  the  United  States  through  these  syndi- 
cated articles  than  is  being  sent  out  to  the  same  class 
by  all  of  the  Tract  Societies  in  the  United  States 
combined.  A  labor  leader  of  national  reputation  re- 
cently said  that  the  influence  of  these  articles  has 
been  such  as  to  completely  change  the  attitude  of  the 
labor  press  toward  the  Church. 

No  denomination  can  have  a  monopoly  of  this 
very  effective  method.  It  may  be  easily  under- 
stood that  an  article  vrritten  by  a  local  man  will  be 
more  readily  printed  than  one  which  is  being 
printed  in  nearly  every  other  labor  paper  in  the 
country. 

IV EXCHANGE  FEATERNAL  DELEGATES 

So  that  both  the  Church  and  Labor  may  see  each 
other  with  clearer  vision,  the  plan  of  the  exchange  of 


The  Trades-Union  97 

fraternal  delegates  between  Ministers'  Associations 
and  Central  Labor  Unions  has  been  adopted  by  sev- 
eral leading  denominations.  The  f rater-  Eemoves  mi«- 
nal  delegate  goes  unpledged  to  secrecy,  ^laderstandings. 
He  does  not  have  the  privilege  of  voting,  but  he  has 
the  right  of  the  floor  on  all  occasions.  He  practi- 
cally becomes  the  Chaplain  of  organized  labor  in  his 
city,  which  places  him  in  a  position  in  which  he  can 
say  some  things  to  workingmen  which  he  could  say 
in  no  other  capacity.  In  some  instances  the  labor 
unions  have  created  the  office  of  chaplain  for  the 
ministers,  and  the  regular  meetings  are  opened  with 
prayer.  This  phase  of  the  work  is  still  in  its  in- 
fancy. ]^o  one  can  prophesy  to  what  extent  it  will 
influence  the  entire  labor  question. 

Working  together,  the  Ministers'  Association  and 
the  Central  Labor  Union  may  bring  about  many 
municipal  reforms.  Indeed,  united,  there  are  few 
things  in  this  direction  which  they  may  not  accom- 
plish in  the  cause  of  good  citizenship,  independent 
of  partisan  politics.  Especially  in  those  matters 
which  involve  moral  issues — such  as  the  saloon, 
gambling,  the  social  evil,  Sunday  work,  child  labor, 
unsanitary  conditions  in  tenement  houses  and  facto- 
ries, and  everything  else  that  influences  the  moral 
life  of  the  community — may  these  organizations  co- 
operate. 

If  the  opportunities  for  service  which  the  minis- 
terial fraternal  delegate  to  the  Central  Labor  Union 
has  presented  to  him,  are  rightly  appreciated  and 


98  Christianity *s  Storm  Centre 

properly  employed,  there  are  few  positions  that  offer 

greater  possibilities  in  bringing  men  of  all  classes 

,  _  ,     ,  .     the  messages  which  will  bring  about  a 

IntrodTioed  in  °  _  '^ 

one  hundred  truer  spirit  of  Christian  brotherhood. 
In  operation  in  about  one  hundred  cities, 
the  plan  is  spreading  from  city  to  city,  until  it  is 
hoped  that  it  will  become  effective  in  the  six  hundred 
cities  of  our  country  that  support  Central  Labor 
Unions  and  Ministers'  Associations. 

As  a  practical  result  of  this  plan,  there  is  a  more 
cordial  relationship  between  workingmen  and  the 
Church ;  first,  because  the  minister  has  a  broader  con- 
ception of  what  the  labor  leader  stands  for,  and  sec- 
ond, because  the  labor  leader  has  come  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  mission  of  the  Church. 

The  plan  has  the  hearty  endorsement  of  the  Amer- 

_  ,      ,,       ican  Federation  of  Labor.     At  its  Pitts- 
Endorsed  by 

highest  labor  burgh  meeting,  held  in  1905,  the  follow- 
ing resolution  was  unanimously  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor  recommends  that  all  affiliated  State  and  Cen- 
tral bodies  exchange  fraternal  delegates  with  the  vari- 
ous State  and  city  ministerial  associations,  wherever 
practicable,  thus  insuring  a  better  understanding  on 
the  part  of  the  Church  and  clergy  of  the  aims  and 
objects  of  the  labor  union  movement  of  America." 

To  further  indicate  its  attitude  toward  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Church,  another  resolution  was 
adopted  at  the  conclusion  of  an  address  by  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  Home  Mission  Board : 


The  Trades-Union  99 

''Wheeeas,  The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  at  its  last  ITational  Con- 
vention, officially  established  a  Department  of  Church 
and  Labor  for  the  express  purpose  of  making  a  sys- 
tematic study  of  the  labor  problem ;  and, 

"Wheeeas,  It  is  part  of  the  plan  of  this  depart- 
ment to  appoint  in  every  industrial  centre  special 
committees  that  may  become  experts  in  their  knowl- 
edge of  every  phase  of  the  labor  movement,  so  that 
they  may  inform  the  churches  with  respect  to  the 
aims  of  organized  labor ; 

"Theeefoee^  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor,  in  convention  assembled,  endorse  this  new  and 
significant  movement  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  we  further  recommend  that  Central  Labor  Bod- 
ies co-operate  with  this  department  and  with  its  sub- 
committees in  every  way  that  may  be  consistent,  in 
order  that  the  Church  and  the  public  at  large  may 
have  a  more  intelligent  conception  of  the  conditions 
and  aspirations  of  the  toilers." 

This  was  simply  an  expression  of  their  feelings, 
which  would  have  been  granted,  had  any        so  longer  a 
of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  other      P'oWem." 
denominations  (as  given  in  this  chapter)  been  pre- 
sented to  the  delegates. 

The  question  of  the  workingman  and  the  Church 
is  no  longer  a  "problem."  It  is  an  opportunity.  It 
is  simply  another  challenge  to  the  Church. 


THE  CITY  SLUM 

Investigating  the  Slum 

To  the  average  "slumming"  party,  every  tenement- 
house  district  is  a  "slum."  And  since  slumming  has 
The  "slum-  become  fashionable,  the  homes  of  the  self- 
ming"  party,  respecting  working  people  who  live  in 
these  tenements  have  been  shamelessly  invaded  by 
inquisitive,  shallow,  morbid  members  of  society,  who 
consider  that  they  have  a  perfect  right  to  intrude 
upon  the  privacy  of  the  homes  in  these  neighbor- 
hoods. 

These  slummers  have  as  their  excuse  that  they  de- 
sire to  see  "how  the  other  half  lives."  It  rarely 
happens  that  they  particularly  care.  It  is  simply 
the  gratification  of  an  ill-bred  curiosity  that  would 
demand  a  call  for  the  police  if  "the  other  half"  had 
wandered  into  the  dressing-rooms  and  parlors  of  the 
"better  classes,"  who  broke  into  the  homes  of  the 
poorer  classes  for  the  sole  purpose  of  seeing  how  they 
lived,  and  with  no  intention  of  helping  them  if  they 
needed  help. 

The  visits  of  church  and  charity  workers  who  go 
to  the  homes  of  the  working  people  for  the  purpose  of 
assisting  them  in  illness  or  distress  is  not  objected  to. 

loo 


The  City  Slum  loi 

'A  writer  for  the  ^New  York  Sun  humorously  con- 
tributes the  following: 

"The  dark  and  noisome  East  Side,  as  the  sociolo- 
gists would  call  it,  is  in  revolt,  and  has  risen  against 
being  investigated  except  by  previous  ap-  a  tenement- 
pointment  and  on  specified  days.  The  house  protest, 
inhabitants  have  organized  the  Anti-Sociological  So- 
ciety, and  if  necessary  the  members  will  put  up  signs 
in  the  hallways  of  the  flat-houses  to  the  effect  that 
'Peddlers,  slununers,  and  sociologists  are  not  ad- 
mitted in  the  private  apartments/ 

"It  was  suggested  that  the  word  'students'  be  added 
to  the  warning,  but  that  was  given  up,  as  nearly 
every  tenement  house  on  the  East  Side  is  full  of 
students.  This  is  one  of  the  facts  that  the  'sociolo- 
gist' does  not  seem  to  appreciate. 

"They  used  to  call  themselves  slummers,  but  now 
they're  all  sociologists  and  carry  notebooks,  and  are 
more  of  a  nuisance  than  ever.     There'd  Amateur 

be  Yale  sociologists  on  Mondays  and  sodoiogistB. 
Vassar  sociologists  on  Tuesdays,  Columbia  sociolo- 
gists on  Wednesdays  and  Princeton  sociologists  on 
Thursdays.  Then,  if  there  were  any  open  dates  in 
the  kitchen,  the  self-made  sociologists  who  hadn't  had 
the  advantage  of  a  university  training  would  blow  in 
and  get  nosy.  But  the  untutored  investigators  are 
not  so  bad  as  the  *rah,  rah'  scholars,  because  they 
haven't  learned  so  many  questions  out  of  books  to  ask 
our  wives  and  daughters  when  they  catch  them  at 
home. 


I02  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

"Of  course,  some  of  us  are  over-sensitive  and  don't 
like  to  have  perfect  strangers  burst  in  on  us  at  meal 
time  and  tell  our  wives  how  they  ought  to  set  the 
table  and  suggest  that  we  ought  to  take  all  the  pic- 
tures down  and  hang  them  in  different  places  and 
then  nibble  at  the  food  to  see  if  they  think  it's  good, 
and  wind  up  by  asking  how  we  can  afford  to  have  a 
piano  and  what  members  of  the  family,  if  any,  are 
now  in  jail  or  how  many  relatives  we  have  in  Potter's 
Field. 

"But  the  East  Side  has  gotten  used  to  that,  and  if  it 

had  the  time,  it  wouldn't  mind  seeing  the  sociologists 

The  humor  of   oiice  in  a  while,  because  they  are  funnier 

it  appreciated,     ^jj^n    anything    in    the    Grand    Street 

vaudeville  shows. 

"Take  my  Rebecca,  for  example.  She  can  read 
Hebrew  and  Latin  and  English.  Once,  before  we 
were  married  she  took  a  prize  in  mathematics  at 
Cooper  Union.  She  plays  the  piano,  too.  But  the 
sociologists  come  down  to  enlighten  her  just  the 
same.  There'll  be  three  or  four  of  them,  one  of 
whom  is  apparently  a  male  so  far  as  clothes  are  con- 
cerned. The  rest  are  girls,  anyway.  They  all  wear 
glasses  and  have  notebooks  in  their  hands  and  take  it 
for  granted  that  my  Rebecca  can't  understand 
English. 

"After  walking  in  as  if  they  paid  the  rent  they'U 
begin  to  sniff  and  write  down  the  number  of  chairs 
and  say  to  each  other  that  they  don't  see  how  human 
beings  can  live  that  way,  whereupon  Rebecca  will 


The  City  Slum  103 

politely  ask  them  in  good  English  to  sit  down  on  the 
chairs  they  have  been  enumerating.  That  seems  to 
disappoint  them,  for  every  sociologist  likes  to  go  back 
to  some  jerk-water  college  and  tell  those  who  are  in 
the  sociological  class  how  they  had  to  get  their  in- 
formation by  pantomime. 

"One  crowd  comes  in  when  Rebecca  is  washing,  and 
they  tell  her  how  sorry  they  are  to  find  her  drudging 
and  tell  her  to  leave  the  tubs  and  improve  her  mind 
by  reading.  Then  they'll  nose  through  our  four  rooms 
and  seem  disappointed  that  we're  not  crowded  into 
one,  and  when  they  see  the  piano  and  the  phonograph 
they  act  as  if  they  had  been  deceived,  and  after  hint- 
ing that  Rebecca's  husband  must  be  a  counterfeiter 
to  have  so  many  luxuries  that  are  contrary  to  their 
books,  they'll  go  away,  and  Rebecca'U  hurry  to  finish 
her  washing  before  the  next  crowd  comes. 

"In  the  afternoon  she's  probably  reading  orplaying 
the  piano,  and  the  investigators  that  find  her  at  that 
look  pleased  and  excited  and  take  notes  fast  and  seem 
to  think  that  they've  got  into  a  disorderly  house  and 
are  seeing  real  low  life  at  last.  Perhaps  they'll  be 
bold  and  tell  Rebecca  that  they  want  to  help  her  lead 
a  better  life  and  ask  her  how  she  fell.  Then  she 
shoos  'em  out.  They  probably  report  to  their  friends 
as  having  barely  escaped  with  their  lives  from  a  den 
of  vice." 

When  "slumming"  becomes  a  fad — a  pastime — 
then  it  might  better  end  before  it  begins.  There  is 
justification  for  a  serious  study  of  the  lives  of  the 


I04  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

poor  and  the  unfortunate  for  the  purpose  of  intelli- 
gently and  sympathetically  helping  them  to  better 
things,  but  there  is  no  excuse  for  imposing  upon 
them  the  aimless  insult  of  the  flippant  seeker  after 
the  latest  diversion. 

The  fact  that  a  neighborhood  is  over-crowded  does 
not  necessarily  make  it  a  slum.  Neither  does  it 
^  ^  follow  that  because  certain  people  live  in 

district  not  tenements  they  are  not  worthy  of  respect- 
a  ways  a  s  nm.  _^^j  treatment  by  those  who  live  in  better 
homes.  There  are  to  be  found  among  tenement 
dwellers  many  fine  personalities  who  are  as  sensitive 
of  their  rights  as  human  beings  as  are  residents  on 
the  avenue.  It  is  important  that  this  fact  be  recog- 
nized in  our  dealings  with  the  poor  in  our  cities. 

This  is  also  true,  to  a  considerable  degree,  of  the 
bona  fide  slum  dweller  and  no  one  has  a  right  to  force 
himself  unnecessarily  upon  even  the  most  unfor- 
tunate man  or  woman,  who  may,  for  any  reason,  have 
fallen  by  the  wayside. 

Characteristics  of  the  Slum 

Nearly  every  city  has  its  slum  district.  Some 
cities  have  several.  These  plague-spots  have  a 
The  saloon  most  pomicious  influence  upon  the 
as  a  factor.  city's  life.  There  are  several  factors 
which  are  responsible  for  the  slum.  Unquestion- 
ably the  saloon  has  much  to  do  with  its  creation. 
Attracting  the  most  vicious  element,  it  becomes 
the    centre    of    every   form    of    social    evil.     The 


The  City  Slum  105 

gambler  makes  it  his  headquarters.  Here  the 
woman  of  the  street  finds  her  victims.  The  thief 
hatches  out  his  plans  in  the  saloon.  The  dance  hall 
attached  to  the  saloon  and  the  private  drinking  rooms 
— the  stalls — are  patronized  by  the  depraved,  who 
allure  the  innocent  and  those  who  have  become  reck- 
less. The  cheap  vaudeville  show  brings  its  quota. 
Then  comes  the  Chinese  restaurant,  with  its  shady 
reputation.  The  pawnshop  hangs  out  its  three 
golden  balls — emblems  of  wretchedness  and  despair. 
"Museums"  and  music  halls  blare  out  their  blatant 
sounds.  Arcades  and  "odeons"  lend  their  shrill 
shriek.  The  cheap  lodging  house,  filled  with  victims 
of  the  surroundings,  adds  its  shadow  to  the  dark  pic- 
ture, for  here  are  quartered  the  most  miserable 
specimens  of  humanity,  dovTn  next  to  the  lowest  step 
— the  street,  or  the  river.  Sometimes  the  city's 
morgue  is  in  the  midst  of  it  all,  ready  to  receive  the 
wretches  who  have  come  to  the  end  of  their  unhappy 
lives.  This  is  the  slum — the  heart-rending  problem 
of  the  city. 

But  back  of  the  saloon  and  all  the  rest  of  it,  there 
are  causes  which  brought  it  into  existence.  Some- 
times a  railroad,  erecting  its  station  or  freight-yard 
in  the  midst  of  a  residence  district,  will  lower  the 
value  of  surrounding  property.  Houses  are  not  kept 
in  good  repair,  because  the  income  is  too  low.  They 
are  rented  to  a  low  type  of  negroes  or  other  unde- 
sirable tenants.  Self-respecting  white  people  move 
out  and  soon  the  neighborhood  is  given  over  to  the 


io6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

lowest  elements.     Then  it  is  that  the  saloon  and  the 
dive  move  in  to  do  their  harm. 

But  often  the  railroad  is  not  responsible.     Some- 
times, by  common  consent,  a  certain  part  of  the  city 

The  policy  of  is  given  over  to  the  class  which  finds  in 
Begregation.  ^^^  depraved  life  all  that  is  worth  while. 
Then  it  becomes  the  "Tenderloin,"  the  "Bohemia," 
the  "Levee,"  the  "Chinatown,"  the  "Swamp"  of  the 
city,  and  marked  is  every  man  and  woman  that  enters 
the  district  after  nightfall.  It  is  no  doubt  better  that 
the  grosser  forms  of  evil  which  are  found  here 
should  be  segregated,  so  that  they  may  be  dealt  with 
more  specifically  and  more  directly,  as  is  advocated 
by  many  who  have  honestly  made  a  careful  human 
study  of  the  questions  involved.  Frequently  the 
raiding  of  houses  of  ill-repute  in  a  particular  dis- 
trict has  resulted  in  sending  their  inmates  into  the 
tenements  of  the  poor,  ending  in  greater  evil  than 
before.  But  segregation  must  not  mean  that  the 
evils  are  to  be  condoned.  It  should  mean,  rather, 
that  they  are  to  be  kept  under  stricter  surveillance 
than  would  be  possible  if  they  were  scattered  through- 
out the  city,  with  the  ultimate  purpose  of  complete 
extermination. 

While  poverty  is  always  to  be  found  in  the  slum,  it 
is  usually  the  poverty  which  comes  through  sin  and 

How  many  Weakness  rather  than  through  adverse 
**^'  circumstances.     Many   a   "barrel-house" 

bum  was  once  a  professional  man  in  good  standing. 
Preachers,  physicians,  lawyers,  and  men  of  practi- 


The  City  Slum  107 

cally  every  other  profession  are  found  in  the  slum. 
Some  are  victims  of  drugs.  Others  fell  through  sex- 
ual vices.  Many  slipped  away  hecause  they  were  fas- 
cinated hy  the  gambler's  devices.  There  are  men 
and  women  who  could  not  stand  the  test  of  life's 
daily  routine,  who,  becoming  tired  of  work,  and, 
thinking  that  a  total  lack  of  responsibility,  either  for 
themselves  or  for  others,  would  bring  relief,  drifted 
into  the  whirlpool  which  centres  in  the  slum  of  the 
city,  from  which  the  deluded  victims  rarely  escape, 
excepting  by  the  help  of  divine  power.  Beginning 
their  downward  careers  in  the  "gilded  halls"  of  the 
palace  saloon,  or  in  the  gaudy  parlor  of  the  uptown 
resort,  unconscious  of  or  indifferent  to  the  future,  it 
was  a  shorter  step  than  they  imagined  to  the  dregs  of 
human  society. 

But  after  all,  they  are  still  human  souls,  with  all 
the  possibilities  that  their  Creator  intended  for  them. 
It  was  for  these  that  Christ  gave  His  life,  as  well  as 
for  those  who  sin  in  other  but  less  conspicuous  ways, 
but  who,  in  God's  sight,  are  just  as  guilty.  Judged 
by  man's  judgment,  they  are  the  off-scouring  of  the 
earth.  But  Jesus  called  such  to  Himself — the  harlot 
and  the  outcast.  And  so,  with  all  their  filth  and 
their  weaknesses,  they  are  worthy  of  the  most  sym- 
pathetic effort  of  the  Church,  for  has  not  the  past 
proven  that  even  the  lowest  have  been  raised  to  places 
of  honor  and  respect,  laboring,  since  their  reclama- 
tion, for  those  who  were  and  those  who  are  still  in 
the  depths  of  sin  ? 


io8  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Agencies  at  Work  in  the  Slum 

Born  in  the  East  End  of  London  in  1865,  the  Sal- 
vation Army  has  since  carried  on  its  magnificent 
Salvation  work  in  every  part  of  the  world.  Wil- 
^™y*  liam  Booth,  its  founder,  was  a  Methodist 

preacher.  Under  his  leadership  the  movement  has 
made  remarkable  progress. 

According  to  an  official  statement,  its  world-wide 
operations  are  carried  on  in  51  countries  and 
colonies,  embracing  7,316  posts,  under  the  charge  of 
20,054  officers  and  employes,  with  45,339  local  offi- 
cers, 17,099  brass  bandsmen,  and  about  50,000  musi- 
cians. Sixty-three  periodicals  are  published,  in 
24  languages,  with  a  weekly  circulation  of 
about  1,200,000.  There  are  668  Social  Belief  Insti- 
tutions in  the  world,  under  the  charge  of  nearly 
3,000  officers  and  employes.  About  7,000  women 
annually  pass  through  the  116  rescue  homes,  and 
from  80  to  90  per  cent,  of  these  are  permanently  re- 
stored to  lives  of  virtue.  There  are  132  slum  settle- 
ments in  the  slum  districts  of  great  cities,  the  worst 
dives,  saloons,  and  tenements  being  regularly  visited. 
The  number  of  annual  conversions  in  connection 
with  the  spiritual  work  has  averaged  from  200,000 
to  250,000  during  the  past  ten  years,  making  a  total 
of  over  two  million,  of  whom  not  less  than  200,000 
were  converted  from  lives  of  drunkenness. 

William  Booth  was  once  asked  where  he  would  get 
his  preachers  to  help  him  carry  on  the  rapidly  devel- 
oping work.     Pointing  to  a  saloon  from  which  stag- 


The  City  Slum  109 

gered  drunken  men,  he  prophesied  that  by  the  grace 
of  God  such  would  one  day  be  his  most  successful 
evangelists.     That  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled. 

The  following  figures  give  a  rough  idea  of  the 
Army's  present  standing  in  the  United  States : 

Eight  hundred  and  twenty-five  corps  and  outposts ; 
4,179  officers  and  employes ;  $300,000  annually  spent 
in  poor  relief;  9,000  nightly  accommo-  Work  in 

dations  for  the  poor;  75  workingmen's  America. 

hotels;  4  women's  hotels;  20  food  depots;  65  Indus- 
trial Homes  for  the  unemployed;  3  farm  colonies 
with  2,000  acres  colonized  and  350  colonists;  20  em- 
ployment bureaus  in  which  1,500  persons  find  work 
each  month;  107  second-hand  stores,  22  rescue  homes 
for  fallen  women  in  which  1,500  fallen  women  are 
cared  for  each  year ;  4  children's  homes ;  4  day  nur- 
series; 23  slum  settlements;  a  large  number  of 
prisons,  hospitals,  and  workhouses  visited  regularly. 

The  "Volunteers  of  America"  grew  out  of  the 
Salvation  Army.  It  was  inaugurated  in  March, 
1896,  by  Greneral  and  Mrs.  Ballington  Volunteers  of 
Booth.  -^"i"*' 

It  is  organized  in  military  style,  having  as  its 
model  the  United  States  Army,  but  in  conjunction 
with  military  discipline  and  methods  of  work,  and  in 
contradistinction  to  the  Salvation  Army,  it  possesses 
a  thoroughly  democratic  form  of  government,  hav- 
ing a  constitution  and  by-laws,  which  are  framed  by 
a  Grand  Field  Council  that  meets  annually  and  is 
thoroughly  representative.     Though  only  ten  years 


no  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

old,  the  "Volunteers  have  representatives  and  branches 
of  their  benevolent  work  in  almost  all  the  principal 
cities  of  the  United  States.  Its  field  is  divided  into 
regiments  or  sections,  which  come  under  the  control 
and  oversight  of  thirty  principal  staff  officers,  its 
chief  centres  being  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston, 
Pittsburgh,  Denver,  Chicago,  and  San  Francisco. 
It  has  philanthropic  institutions  in  Chicago,  Joliet, 
Austin,  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas  City,  Pueblo,  Worces- 
ter, Boston,  Lynn,  Maiden,  Toledo,  Erie,  Pittsburgh, 
Buffalo,  Newcastle,  Philadelphia,  Newark,  New 
York  City,  and  other  centres. 

In  addition  to  the  Volunteer  reading  rooms,  thou- 
sands of  copies  of  Christian  literature  are  circulated 
in  State  prisons,  jails,  hospitals,  soldiers'  homes, 
and  children's  homes.  In  connection  with  the  Vol- 
unteers, there  are  also  sewing  classes,  hospital  nurses, 
temporary  financial  relief  departments,  boys'  fresh- 
air  camps,  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  dinners,  and 
many  other  undertakings. 

The  work  of  both  the  Salvation  Army  and  the 
Volunteers  of  America  has  to  do  in  a  peculiar  way 
with  the  city  slum.  Both  have  their  slum  corps,  al- 
though in  every  city  in  which  their  work  is  estab- 
lished, their  barracks  are  always  located  in  the  slum 
districts. 

There  are  several  important  reasons  which,  in  a 
measure,  account  for  the  success  of  these  two  organi- 
zations. Much  must  be  attributed  to  their  splendid 
devotion  to  a  single  ideal,  namely — the  personal  sal- 


The  City  Slum  1 1 1 

vation  of  lost  men  and  women.  The  sincerity  of  the 
workers  in  this  cause  must  be  apparent  to  every 
observer.  The  mere  fact  that  they  are  Why  these 
out  upon  the  street  night  after  night  ^^^^^o^ 
in  all  kinds  of  weather,  for  the  purpose  ceeded. 
of  reaching  the  masses,  makes  a  decided  impression 
upon  the  worldly-minded  and  the  indifferent. 

They  understand  human  nature.  They  do  not 
theorize.  Their  method  of  approach  is  personal  and 
direct.  Their  preaching  is  to  the  point.  It  has  to 
do  with  the  most  vital  interests  of  those  whom  they 
are  addressing.  Men  admire  them  for  their  fearless- 
ness in  word  and  method.  The  everyday  needs  of 
the  people  are  considered.  It  is  not  forgotten  that 
the  people  have  bodies  as  well  as  souls.  Practically 
every  official  having  come  from  the  ranks  of  the  com- 
mon people,  they  have  the  deepest  sympathy  for 
those  who  daily  suffer  the  same  things  which  they 
themselves  suffered.  The  charge  which  is  so  often 
hurled  at  the  Church,  that  it  has  gotten  out  of  touch 
with  the  people,  cannot  be  brought  against  them. 
Their  appeal  is  to  the  heart.  They  realize  that  the 
masses  are  heart-hungry — most  of  all,  whatever  else 
their  need  may  be. 

The  appeal  is  to  the  spectacular.  However  the 
refined  and  the  cultured  may  deplore  it,  nevertheless, 
the  great  mass  of  men  can  be  most  easily  The  appeal  to 
stirred  in  this  manner.  The  reality  of  *^«  spectacular. 
the  whole  thing  wins  them.  It  is  so  human — and, 
at  the  same  time,  so  divine. 


112  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Many  are  the  criticisms  which  may  be  brought 
against  these  movements,  but  unquestionably  they 
have  taught  the  Church  many  valuable  lessons. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  in  some  cases  ignorant  and 
sometimes  immoral  persons  have  been  placed  in 
charge  of  rescue  mission  work.  Frequently  they 
have  appointed  themselves  to  the  task,  organized  a 
mission,  gotten  together  a  few  touching  stories,  and 
then  gone  out  to  raise  money  for  their  support  from 
among  the  credulous  and  those  who  have  more  sym- 
pathy than  good  judgment.  Naturally,  when  their 
real  character  was  disclosed,  the  "mission"  has  suf- 
fered. 

Frequently  "freak"  missions  are  established  in 
slum  districts.  Controlled  by  those  who  have  vaga- 
ries of  a  most  peculiar  character,  but  often  able  to 
support  such  work  on  their  own  account,  they  gather 
about  themselves  a  constituency  which  soon  becomes 
bitter  and  censorious — altogether  out  of  sympathy 
with  the  people  in  the  community,  and,  therefore, 
their  usefulness  is  greatly  impaired,  aside  from  the 
harm  which  naturally  comes  from  their  narrow  inter- 
pretation of  Scripture.  The  peculiar  thing  is  that 
ordinarily  their  enterprises  are  given  such  names  as : 
"Full  Gospel  Mission;"  "Bible  Mission;"  "World- 
Wide  Mission,"  and  other  similar  names  which  would 
seem  to  indicate  a  catholicity  which  would  take  in  all 
men. 

But  over  against  these  inferior  and  sometimes 
harmful  organizations,  there  are  some  most  effective 


The  City  Slum  113 

agencies  for  redeeming  the  fallen.  The  old  Water 
Street  Mission  in  New  York,  organized  by  Jerry 
McAuley,    has    had    a    srlorious    career. 

" '  ^         "  Bome  snoceas- 

The  Cremome  Mission,  farther  up-  M  rescue  mia- 
town,  looks  back  upon  a  record  of  which 
it  may  well  be  proud.  Hadley  Rescue  Hall  on 
the  Bowery,  conducted  by  the  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  old  Bowery 
Mission,  and  a  number  of  others  in  the  same  city, 
"Which  have  stood  the  test  of  time,  give  testimony  to 
the  power  of  the  Gospel  to  save  men.  The  Pacific 
Garden  Mission  in  Chicago,  the  McGregor  Mission 
in  Detroit,  the  City  Rescue  Mission  in  Grand  Rapids, 
the  Union  Mission  in  Minneapolis,  the  Union  Res- 
cue Mission  in  Los  Angeles,  the  Yonge  Street  Mis- 
sion in  Toronto,  the  Brewery  Mission  in  Montreal, 
and  dozens  of  others,  all  over  America,  are  render- 
ing a  great  service  in  behalf  of  needy  men  and 
women. 

Among  the  schools  which  give  special  training  for 
this  form  of  city  mission  work,  are  the  Training 
School  of  the  'New  York  City  Mission  Training 

Society,  the  Bible  Teachers''  Training  "^j'i^" 
School,  New  York ;  the  Moody  Bible  In-  workers, 
stitute  in  Chicago,  the  Los  Angeles  Bible  Institute, 
the  Missionary  Training  School  in  Cleveland,  and 
the  Deaconess  Training  Schools  in  New  York,  Chi- 
cago, and  Baltimore.  Some  of  the  churches  have 
courses  in  their  denominational  schools  and  semina- 
ries which  prepare  for  slum  work. 


114  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

More  and  more  is  the  Church  awaking  to  the  fact 
that  much  of  this  work  has  needlessly  and  wrong- 
fully been  left  to  outside  organizations,  with  the  re- 
sult that  some  of  them  have  become  enemies  of  the 
Church,  instead  of  allies,  as  they  pretended,  although 
in  nearly  every  case  the  chief  support  of  these  enter- 
prises has  come  from  the  people  in  the  churches,  if 
not  directly  from  the  Church  itself  as  an  organiza- 
tion. 

There  is  no  good  reason  why  the  Church  itself  may 
not  do  in  the  slums  of  our  cities  everything  that  is 
What  the  to-day  being  done  by  other  institutions. 
Ohnroh  may  do.  The  splendid  work  being  done  in  London 
by  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  is  an  illustration  of  what 
the  Church  in  earnest  may  accomplish.  The  Pres- 
byterians in  Belfast  can  tell  a  similar  story,  although 
Mr.  Montgomery's  work  is  not  quite  so  extensive  as 
the  movement  inaugurated  by  Hugh  Price  Hughes. 
r.  B.  Meyer's  work  in  London  was  far-reaching,  go- 
ing down  to  the  dregs  of  society. 

St.  Bartholomew's  in  New  York,  through  its  res- 
cue mission ;  the  Church  House  on  Third  Avenue,  in 
the  same  city,  connected  with  the  Madison  Square 
Presbyterian  Church,  through  its  varied  night  meet- 
ings and  social  features;  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Pittsburgh,  through  its  extensive  work  in 
parks  and  theatres ;  the  Emmanuel  Baptist  Church 
in  Chicago,  through  its  chain  of  branches  scattered 
throughout  the  city  and  reaching  even  to  the  slums ; 
the  Forward  Movement  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


The  City  Slum  115 

Church  in  "New  York  City,  with  its  many-sided  in- 
fluences in  church  buildings  and  mission  halls,  are 
types  of  church  work  in  America  which  offer  sugges- 
tions to  those  who  are  eagf  r  to  meet  the  challenge  of 
the  slum  to  the  city  church. 


SOCIAL  CEN"TEES 

Why  Social  Centres  are  Needed 

It  was  really  a  sidewalk — a  street  corner  reception. 
For  a  dozen  blocks  or  more,  in  this  thriving  Pennsyl- 
A  street  vania  city  of  a  hundred  thousand,  the 
reception.  young  men  and  women  were  meeting 

their  old  friends  and  new,  on  Saturday  night;  the 
groups  standing  so  closely  together  that  one  could 
scarcely  pass  by.  There  were  fully  five  thousand  of 
them.  The  crowd  was  so  good-natured,  and  it  was 
all  apparently  so  harmless,  that  criticism  seemed 
harsh.  They  were  working  people — one  could  easily 
see  that.  Tired  at  the  end  of  the  week,  but  with 
an  alertness  and  a  gayety  which  indicated  freedom 
from  the  nervous  strain  of  the  shop,  the  mine,  and 
the  mill,  there  was  an  abandon  which  might  easily 
lead  to  recklessness  in  speech  and  manner  far  from 
the  thought  of  these  light-hearted  young  people. 

But  where  were  they  to  go?  Up  and  down  the 
street  there  were  dazzling  electric  lights — inviting 
to  the  five-cent  "Nickelodeon"  and  "Dreamland," 
the  saloon  and  the  dance  hall.  Many  of  them  did 
not  need  a  very  urgent  invitation,  but  again,  where 
else  could  they  go?     What  other  place  was  open  to 

Il6 


Social  Centres  117 

them  ?  The  most  diligent  inquiry  failed  to  reveal  a 
social  centre,  where,  to  say  the  least,  the  natural  ani- 
mal spirit  of  this  physically  healthy  crowd  might 
normally  work  itself  off.  And  so,  the  amusement 
places  of  a  questionable  character  did  a  rushing  busi- 
ness. True,  the  crowd  heard  some  fairly  good  music 
and  saw  some  interesting  pictures,  but  with  what- 
ever good  there  came,  there  were  elements  of  evil 
which  clearly  outweighed  it. 

N^ot  so  fortunate  even  as  these  was  the  company  of 
young  workingmen  in  another  city,  who  spent  their 
evenings  on  the  street  corner  or  on  the  end  of  a 
double  truck,  because  there  was  no  more  convenient 
place  to  meet.  Nearly  every  one  belonging  to  a 
Bible  class,  every  member  of  the  group,  with  one  ex- 
ception, had  spent  at  least  one  night  in  the  police 
station,  because,  in  that  city,  there  was  a  law  against 
loitering  on  the  street  corner,  and  it  was  regarded  a 
crime  to  sit  on  the  tail-end  of  a  truck. 

The  church  to  which  these  young  men  belonged 
was  closed — except  for  stated  religious  meetings. 
There  was  an  occasional  entertainment,  oititcIi  doorg 
but  even  these  were  few  and  far  between.  °^°^®*' 
Sometimes  there  came  as  a  dizzy  climax  to  the  sea- 
son's festivities,  a  magic  lantern  exhibition  with  pic- 
tures of  the  Holy  Land.  On  several  occasions  the 
janitor  was  persuaded  to  open  the  door  leading  to  a 
back  room,  and  there,  in  the  dim  light,  was  found  a 
refuge  from  the  policeman — ^no,  not  altogether,  for 
sometimes  he  rapped  at  the  door  with  his  night-stick, 


ii8  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

because  he  knew  that  no  one  had  a  legal  right  to  be  in 
that  church  excepting  at  a  regular  meeting,  and  he 
knew  when  these  were  held. 

Most  of  the  mothers  of  these  young  men  were  con- 
fined, day  after  day,  to  the  four  walls  of  their 
kitchens,  seeing  no  one  but  the  men  and  the  boys  who 
daily  delivered  the  food  for  the  family.  Listening 
to  the  shouting  of  the  children  and  going  the  weary 
rounds  of  household  duties,  they  needed  a  change,  an 
inspiration,  which  rarely  came.  The  wonder  is  that 
the  wives  of  many  more  workingmen  do  not  become 
insane.  The  awful  monotony  of  their  lives  is  such 
that  they  deserve  the  deepest  sympathy  of  those  who 
might  bring  a  ray  of  sunlight  into  their  darkened 
hearts  and  minds. 

A  simple  "Kaffee  Klatsch" — and  how  youth  is  re- 
stored, and  the  spirit  revived.  Coming  from  his 
A"Kaffee  work,  the  husband  sees  the  old  smile 
Klatsch."  which  the  burden  of  care  had  long  since 

driven  away.  There  is  greater  strength  in  every 
movement.  There  is  a  sprightliness  about  the  con- 
versation which  had  long  been  missed.  There  is  so 
much  to  tell  about — the  real  cream,  the  peculiarly 
fragrant  coffee,  the  cake — yes,  but  more  interesting 
still,  the  decorations.  There  were  flowers,  and  here 
is  one  in  the  hair  of  the  home-maker.  The  tables 
were  covered  with  snowy  linen.  Every  woman  pres- 
ent had  a  napkin.  Oh,  it  was  the  event  of  the  sea- 
son. The  workingman  needs  help,  but  more  impor- 
tant is  the  need  of  his  wife.     And  few  needs  are  sq 


Social  Centres  119 

urgent  as  the  social  centre,  to  which  the  entire  family 
may  occasionally  come,  although  sometimes  it  is  well 
for  the  housekeeper  to  leave  husband  and  children — 
when  at  all  possible — for  a  time  of  refreshing  among 
friends  in  the  neighborhood,  but,  principally,  for  in- 
tercourse with  those  who  have  enjoyed  more  of  the 
brighter  things  of  life,  and  from  whom  may  come 
fresh  hope  and  inspiration. 

Lodges  as  Social  Centres 

Lodges  of  benevolent  and  protective  organizations 
are  to  many  the  only  social  centres  which  in  any  way 
supply  the  need  for  social  life.  These  organizations 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  have  a  membership 
of  nearly  ten  millions.  But  some  men  and  women 
are  members  of  several  of  them  at  the  same  time. 
Indeed,  we  are  all  acquainted  with  the  individual 
who  wears  half  a  dozen  emblems  representing  as 
many  different  lodges  with  which  he  is  connected. 
This  takes  away  from  the  total  number  affiliated  with 
the  lodges,  but  the  number  is  still  very  great. 

The  disposition  to  join  these  popular  "orders"  is 
not  by  any  means  restricted  to  the  men  and  women 
in  the  large  cities.  It  is  more  than  -  ,  . 
likely  that  the  largest  percentage  of  their  smaller  cities 
membership  is  in  the  smaller  cities  and 
towns,  where  the  opportunities  for  other  forms  of 
social  life  are  not  so  great.  In  a  railroad  town  of 
4,000  in  Nebraska,  there  are  sixty-four  clubs  and 
lodges  of  various  kinds. 


I20  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

To  many  their  lodges  represent  more  than  mere 
benevolent  organizations — they  have  become  substi- 
tutes for  the  Church.  They  have  their  chaplains, 
who  are  regularly  elected  with  the  other  officers,  and 
the  meetings  are  opened  and  closed  with  prayer. 
Their  rituals  and  their  work  closely  resemble  the  out- 
ward forms  and  ceremonies  of  some  Churches,  and 
the  practical  benevolences  follow  ambitiously  the 
material  ministrations  of  the  Church,  so  that  it  is 
often  said  by  the  enthusiastic  lodge  man  and  woman 
that  there  is  church  enough  in  their  lodge  for  them. 

At  every  meeting  the  presiding  officer  publicly 
asks  the  question:  "Are  any  sick  or  in  distress?" 
0  i  f  th  W^^^  s^<^^  ^^®  reported,  a  committee  is 
flick  and  help,  appointed  to  visit  them,  to  render  such 
assistance  as  may  be  possible.  Usually  the 
family  is  relieved  of  its  night  vigils  by  the  bedside 
of  the  sick  one,  by  those  who  were  appointed  for  this 
purpose.  Should  a  member  die,  the  same  commit- 
tee will  sit  up  with  the  dead  during  the  nights  previ- 
ous to  the  burial,  and  when  the  funeral  takes  place, 
after  the  reading  of  a  formal  burial  service,  the  offi- 
cers and  members  of  the  lodge  will  show  their  re- 
spect for  the  dead  by  turning  out  and  following  the 
hearse  through  some  of  the  streets  near  the  home  of 
the  deceased  member. 

Most  working  people  join  the  lodge  primarily  be- 
cause of  the  sick  and  death  benefits  which  come  to 
them  and  to  their  families.  But  the  strenuous  ef- 
forts of  a  "good  of  the  order"  committee  to  bring  the 


Social  Centres  12 1 

membership  to  the  regular  meetings  frequently  re- 
sults in  the  personal  presence  and  support  of  those 
who  were  first  attracted  by  a  cheap  life  insurance 
policy,  because  they  were  unable — or  thought  they 
were — to  become  insured  in  a  regular  insurance  com- 
pany. 

These  are  some  of  the  reasons  why  the  lodge  has 
so  strong  a  hold  on  the  masses  of  the  people.  Vari- 
ous attempts  have  been  made  by  indi-  .^  ^^^ 
vidual  churches  and  sometimes  by  indi-  Ohurohliaa 
viduals  in  some  denominations  to  create 
substitutes  for  lodges  and  their  systematized  benevo- 
lent work,  but  these  have  been  successful  to  only  a 
limited  extent,  largely  because  the  exact  business 
methods  which  are  absolutely  necessary,  and  the 
general  spirit  of  the  Church's  benevolence,  cannot 
easily  be  harmonized,  so  as  to  save  the  Church  the 
embarrassment  of  driving  away  some  who  may  not 
have  been  able  to  keep  their  part  of  a  mutual  agree- 
ment. The  lodge  can  lapse  those  who  do  not  pay 
their  dues,  or  who  fail  to  keep  some  other  require- 
ments. No  way  has  yet  been  found  whereby  the 
Church  can  in  the  same  manner  deal  with  its  de- 
linquent members. 

And  yet,  there  are  certain  features  found  in  the 
lodge,  which  may  be  mutually  and  voluntarily  en- 
tered   into    by    those    who    are    in    the  „      , 
Church,  to  the  best  interests  of  all  con-        Ohurohhas 
cerned.     oome  churches  have  their  bur- 
ial and  sick  fimds,  their  coal  and  flour  funds.     Many 


112  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

engage  a  doctor  and  pay  him  so  much  per  month,  the 
agreement  being  that  he  will  care  for  the  sick  of  the 
family  without  extra  compensation.  The  social  side 
of  the  lodge's  work  is,  of  course,  found  in  most 
churches,  and  the  personal  ministry  to  the  sick  and 
the  afflicted  is  common.  There  is,  however,  room  for 
development  in  this  phase  of  work  in  the  Church,  but 
the  plans  adopted  must,  in  a  large  measure,  be 
worked  out  to  meet  local  conditions,  and  it  must  be 
supported  by  a  local  fund. 

"Social"  Clubs  as  Social  Centres 

"Social"  clubs,  composed  mostly  of  young  men  and 
boys,  have  sprung  up  in  the  tenement-house  districts. 
Their  functions  are  purely  social.  Their  members 
meet  night  after  night,  to  sing  and  to  gossip,  to  dis- 
cuss plans  for  the  next  ball  to  be  "run"  by  the  club, 
and  often  to  drink  the  beer  which  is  brought  in  by 
the  can  or  by  the  keg.  Sometimes  extra  expenses 
are  met  by  a  favorite  politician,  for  whom  the  club 
has  been  named,  the  members  in  return  using 
their  influence  to  have  him  placed  or  retained  in 
ofllce.  But  the  usual  routine  of  interests  is  far  from 
being  of  an  elevating  character.  More  often  the  club 
room  becomes  the  loafing-place  of  an  undesirable  ele- 
ment in  the  club  itself,  or  of  friends  of  its  members. 

Frequently  athletic  features  are  added  to  the 
club's  activities.  Then  it  really  becomes  an  athletic 
association,  and  often  attracts  to  itself  members  of  a 
better  character.     It  must  not  be  supposed  that  every 


Social  Centres  123 

social  club  is  a  vicious  enterprise,  or  at  least,  that 
it   is  made   up   of  men   of  vicious  character.      In 
many  cases,   every  member  is   a  hard-         w  +  u 
working  artisan,  laborer,  or  clerk.     The       vioiousohar- 
club  to  which  they  belong  is  the  only 
organization  which  supplies  a  real  social  need. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  among  the  men  ordinarily 
found  in  the  social  club,  there  are  so  few  who  are 
strong  enough  to  lead  to  higher  and  better  things. 
For  in  raising  the  standard  of  the  club,  the  movement 
must  come  from  within.  There  is  too  much  inde- 
pendence about  the  men  to  accept  much  leadership 
or  suggestion  from  without.  That  is  one  of  the  most 
hopeful  things  in  connection  with  these  enterprises. 
It  opens  out  before  Christian  workingmen  of  ability 
a  great  field  of  usefulness. 

The  Saloon  as  a  Social  Centre 

What  is  it  that  makes  the  saloon  so  important  a 
social  centre?  The  fundamental  reason  must  be 
that  it  supplies,  in  a  natural  manner,  the  t}t\j  the 
demand  for  such  a  centre,  because,  every-  *^°°°  attracts. 
where,  men  accept  it  as  an  agency  which  ministers 
to  certain  social  wants.  Reference  has  already  been 
made  to  the  democratic  spirit  which  is  found  in  the 
saloon.  To  most  saloon  habitues  this,  of  itself, 
would  be  a  prime  factor  in  attracting  them,  on  ac- 
count of  their  social  instincts.  And  it  is  the  social 
aspect  of  the  saloon  which  gives  it  its  greatest  power. 

It  is  not  the  drink  habit,  strong  as  that  may  be. 


124  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Probably  not  more  than  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  men 
who  patronize  saloons  go  there  for  the  purpose  of 
drinking. 

One  of  the  young  men  in  the  Bible  class  referred 

to  in  the  early  part  of  this  chapter — the  one  who  had 

escaped  the  police  station — was  a  mem- 

keeper°8have      her  of  a  labor  union.     His  labor  organi- 

monopoiyof       zatiou  met  back  of  a  saloon.     It  met 

nallBi 

there  for  two  reasons:  First,  because 
the  saloon-keeper  charged  no  rent  for  the  use 
of  the  hall,  and,  second,  because  there  was  no 
other  place  in  which  it  could  meet,  as  every  hall  in 
that  part  of  the  city  which  was  at  all  convenient  was 
owned  by  a  saloon-keeper.  Because  the  saloon- 
keepers have  a  monopoly  of  most  of  the  cheap  halls 
in  the  larger  cities,  they  become  the  meeting-places 
of  social  clubs,  labor  unions,  lodges,  singing  societies, 
and  practically  every  other  organization  of  the 
poorer  people. 

Here,  too,  they  have  their  christenings,  their  wed- 
dings, their  dances,  and  other  social  functions.     Un- 
Oommujiity      l^ss  they  are  connected  in  some  way  with 
centre.  ^j^g  Church,  most  of  the  people  in  the 

community  look  upon  the  saloon  as  the  social  clear- 
ing-house of  the  neighborhood.  It  is  from  here  that 
the  gossip  of  the  neighborhood  goes  out.  It  is  to  the 
saloon  that  the  political  parties  look  for  their  greatest 
strength.  A  famous  New  York  politician  recently 
said  that  he  would  rather  have  one  saloon  back  him 
up  than  ten  churches. 


Social  Centres  125 

The  games  which  are  found  in  the  saloon — ^bil- 
liards, pool,  bowling,  and  cards — attract.  Some- 
times there  is  a  gymnasimn.  In  most  cases  the 
customers  are  supplied  with  papers.  The  music 
draws,  especially  where  it  is  given  in  connection  with 
the  summer  garden. 

More  important  than  most  of  us  think,  is  the  free 
lunch  which  is  offered.  Served  in  an  appetizing 
manner,  and  in  almost  unlimited  quantities,  the 
saloon  daily  feeds  thousands  of  clerks  and  working- 
men,  who  thus  secure  a  noonday  luncheon  for  the 
cost  of  two  glasses  of  beer,  and  often  at  the  cost  of 
only  one.  Frequently  a  small  charge  is  made  for  a 
lunch  which  is  far  superior  to  the  unattractive  meals 
served  in  the  cheap,  dirty  restaurants  to  which  many 
would  otherwise  be  compelled  to  go. 

The  saloon-keeper  himself  is  a  factor  in  the  prob- 
lem. His  cordial  greeting,  his  neat  appearance,  his 
large  acquaintance,  not  only  with  the  Secret  of 
men  in  the  community  but  beyond,  his  ptronauX"' 
superior  sources  of  information,  make  enoe. 
him  a  great  influence.  Often  he  secures  work  for 
both  the  workingman  and  his  children.  He  loans 
him  money,  without  setting  up  the  "work  test"  of  the 
charity  organization.  No  questions  are  asked  as  to 
whether  or  not  the  recipient  is  deserving.  Fre- 
quently he  lends  "hoping  nothing  in  return."  This 
is  part  of  the  general  business  policy  of  the  saloon, 
which  depends  so  largely  upon  the  spirit  of  good- 
fellowship  which  must  be  of  first  importance  in  the 


126  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

successful  conduct  of  the  enterprise.  The  saloon- 
keeper understands  human  nature.  That  is  his  chief 
stock  in  trade.  It  is  his  business  to  attract  men,  and 
to  so  attract  them  that  they  will  continue  to  make  his 
place  a  permanent  rendezvous. 

He  seeks  to  secure  as  much  transient  trade  as  pos- 
sible, but  his  chief  dependence  is  upon  the  men  who 
come  day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  bringing 
their  friends  with  them.  It  is  the  treating  habit 
that  makes  the  saloon  business  pay. 

The  saloon-keeper  has  his  own  standard  of  ethics, 

and,  all  things  considered,  it  is  often  a  pretty  good 

one.  Comparatively  few — excepting  those 

Sftloon  6tliio8i 

conducting  the  lowest  kinds  of  saloons — 

will  permit  a  man  to  become  intoxicated  in  their  places. 
They  will  not  permit  swearing.  Indecent  stories  are 
prohibited.  !N^o  gambling  is  allowed.  Many  of 
their  families  are  in  the  churches,  not  only  in  the 
Catholic  churches,  but  in  Protestant  as  well.  Es- 
pecially is  this  true  in  city  mission  fields.  Few  greet 
the  preacher  more  genially  than  the  saloon-keeper, 
when  he  makes  a  pastoral  call.  In  short,  the  saloon- 
keeper is  decidedly  a  human  being.  This  must  be 
taken  into  account  in  dealing  with  him,  for  it  is 
undoubtedly  recognized  by  the  millions  who  patron- 
ize the  saloon,  who  smile  at  the  caricatures  of  the 
saloon-keeper  which  appear  in  some  temperance 
journals. 


Social  Centres  127 

SuhsiUuies  for  the  Saloon 

It  is  very  doubtful  whether  a  complete  substitute 
for  the  saloon  will  ever  be  found.  There  are  so 
many  elements,  both  human  and  physi-  _.  ^ 
cal,  which  must  be  considered,  that  no  policy  ineffect- 
one  organization  or  institution  thus  far 
established  completely  meets  the  needs  which  seem 
to  be  so  strongly  imperative.  Merely  to  adopt 
the  negative  policy  of  closing  the  saloon  and  pro- 
hibiting the  sale  of  intoxicants  will  never  meet 
the  case.  This  method  fails  to  recognize  that 
many  human  cravings  which  the  saloon  gratifies 
are  perfectly  legitimate,  and  that  men  will  gratify 
them. 

Undoubtedly  these  needs  will  be  met  by  a  number 
of  agencies,  and,  each  performing  its  peculiar  func- 
tion, the  question  will  be  largely  settled. 

Various  attempts  have  been  made  by  thoroughly 
sincere  people  to  reform  the  saloon  business.  After 
one  such  attempt  in  'New  York  City  in  what  was 
called  the  "Subway  Tavern,"  it  was  decided  after  a 
year's  trial  that  the  enterprise  was  a  complete  fail- 
ure. The  saloon  was  widely  advertised  as  a  plan  to 
meet  the  need  of  a  workingman's  club.  Whatever 
the  causes  which  led  to  its  failure,  it  is  interesting 
to  note  the  comments  of  the  purchaser,  who  after- 
wards ran  it  as  a  common  bar.  He  posted  a  card 
bearing  these  sentences : 

"Kum  and  religion  won't  mix,  any  more  than  oil 
and  water. 


128  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

"You  cannot  follow  the  Lord  and  chase  the  devil  at 
the  same  time. 

"A  saloon  is  a  place  for  drink,  not  worship. 

"Religion  follows  rum ;  it  does  not  go  with  it,  hand 
in  hand.  A  man  thinks  of  religion  the  morning 
after. 

"You  cannot  boom  drink  and  temperance  too. 
Running  a  saloon  by  telling  people  of  the  deadly  ef- 
fects of  rum  is  like  telling  a  man  to  please  buy  poison 
because  the  undertaker  needs  the  money. 

"The  best  patron  of  a  saloon  is  the  man  with  the 
biggest  thirst;  not  the  man  with  the  most  religion. 

"They  sang  the  Doxology  when  they  opened  the 
place.     We'll  sing,  'Here's  to  good  old  wine.'  " 

Removing  the  element  of  profit  to  the  individual 
saloon-keeper,  as  is  the  case  with  the  "People's  Re- 
People's  Ee-  freshment  House  Association"  in  Eng- 
HousrSlcia-  ^^^^'  ^^^  investing  the  profit  in  agencies 
tion.  which   counteract   the   influence   of   the 

very  institution  by  which  they  are  supported,  is  an 
ingenious  plan.  William  H.  Tolman  gives,  in  the 
Outlook,  in  part,  the  following  account  of  this 
movement : 

"The  People's  Refreshment  House  Associaiio^ 
was  incorporated  in  1896  for  the  obj^c-c  of  promoting 
temperance  by  a  trial  of  c^arious  methods  best  calcu- 
lated to  reduj^  *j»je3s  in  the  consumption  of  alco- 
holic liqnors.  The  promoters  recognized  the  dangers 
incident  to  the  disagreeable  but  lucrative  trade  of 
liquor-selling. 


Social  Centres  129 

"The  underlying  principle  of  the  Association  is  the 
elimination  of  private  profit.  They  know  that  it  is 
to  the  interest  of  the  saloonist  to  extend  his  custom, 
sell  as  much  liquor  as  he  can,  and  resist  any  change 
in  the  law  that  might  interfere  with  his  privileges 
and  monopoly.  His  livelihood  depends  upon  push- 
ing his  business.  The  Association  leases  existing 
public-houses,  acquires  new  licenses  where  a  growing 
population  obliges  the  magistrates  to  create  new 
ones,  establishes  canteens  and  refreshment  bars  at 
large  public  works,  collieries,  and  elsewhere. 

"The  liquors  are  not  exposed  with  a  view  to  attract- 
ing customers,  but  the  foodstuffs  and  non-alcoholic 
drinks  are  prominently  displayed.  Special  attention 
is  given  to  making  tea,  coffee,  and  cocoa  most  at- 
tractive and  palatable.  As  far  as  possible,  tea  is 
freshly  made  for  every  customer.  Fresh  filtered 
drinking  water  in  glasses  is  always  at  hand  in  the  tap- 
room and  parlor.  Every  effort  is  made  to  push  the 
sale  of  food  rather  than  liquors. 

"The  Trust  makes  persistent  efforts  to  minimize 
drinking.  Its  houses  close  at  nine,  an  hour  before 
the  usual  time.  The  liquors  are  of  the  g  vst 
best  quality,  and  there  are  no  tempta-  minimize  drink- 
tions  to  linger  about  the  house,  but  there  ^  *  ' ' 
are  ample  inducements  for  rational  recreation  out- 
side, all  of  which  are  provided  from  the  profits  of  the 
saloon.  For  example,  at  the  Hill  of  Beath,  out  of 
the  profits  a  library  with  a  reading  and  billiard  room 
was  built,  the  social  centre  supplying  the  absence  of 


130  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

tlies*  epportunities  for  reading,  companionship,  and 
recreation  in  the  home.  Adjoining  the  library  is  a 
small  park  and  recreation  field,  where  one  corner  is 
set  aside  for  a  bowling  green. 

"The  profits  from  another  public  house  were  used 
towards  electric-lighting  the  village,  a  singing  class, 
a  football  club,  and  an  ambulance." 

In  the  city  of  Yonkers,  New  York,  there  is  a  suc- 
cessful saloon  substitute,  known  as  Hollywood  Inn. 
"Hollywood  Established  through  the  generosity  of 
^^'"  Mr.  "William  F.  Cochran,  it  is  in  charge 

of  the  Rev.  James  E.  Freeman,  a  local  Episcopalian 
rector,  through  whose  zeal  and  devotion  the  work  has 
been  maintained  since  its  organization. 

The  Hollywood  Inn  has  a  patronage  of  a  quarter 
of  a  million  a  year.  It  has  one  of  the  handsomest 
club  buildings  in  the  United  States,  costing  about 
$400,000.  It  has  a  membership  of  1,200,  65  per 
cent,  of  which  is  made  up  of  hona-fide  artisans. 
There  are  pool  and  billiard  tables,  gymnasium,  bathg 
and  swimming  pool,  and  a  fine  bowling-alley  room. 
There  are  seating  accommodations  for  300  men  at 
card  tables  and  games,  three  halls  with  lecture 
courses,  a  circulating  library  of  6,000  volumes,  which 
is  patronized  to  the  extent  of  15,000  volumes  per 
annum.  There  are  refreshment  rooms,  class  rooms, 
and  lodge  and  club  rooms  which  may  be  rented  at  a 
moderate  cost. 

It  has  been  the  desire  of  the  club  to  have  those  in 
charge  of  its  administration  as  inconspicuous  as  pos- 


Social  Centres  131 

sible,to  free  the  institution  from  anything  that  would 

suggest  paternalism  or  patronage  of  any  kind.     The 

Superintendent  and  his   assistants  have 

.  ,     .      .  .  How  it  18  run. 

the   oversight   of  the   building   and   its 

general  well-being,  and  are  at  all  times  at  the  service 
of  the  members  in  the  interests  of  the  club.  There  are 
two  boards  in  connection  with  the  club ;  the  Board  of 
Directors,  which  is  a  fiduciary  body  charged  with  the 
administration  of  the  club's  finances  and  the  care  of 
the  property;  there  is  also  a  General  Committee 
which  was  instituted  in  1898,  which  is  elected  annu- 
ally by  the  members  in  September,  comprising  fif- 
teen representatives  of  the  club  itself.  These  two 
bodies  work  in  conjunction,  and  always  harmoni- 
ously, three  members  of  the  General  Committee  sit- 
ting with  the  House  Committee  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  from  month  to  month,  which  has  the  over- 
sight of  the  details  of  the  club  management.  The 
General  Committee  also  supervises  the  Athletic  De- 
partment and  Entertainment  Committee  in  connec- 
tion with  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and 
Superintendent.  Both  Boards  hold  monthly  meet- 
ings, and  co-operation  is  the  note  that  signalizes  their 
efforts. 

There  are  few  clubs  that  represent  so  large  a  vari- 
ety of  occupations  as  this  one.  It  has  been  the  design 
of  those  charged  with  its  affairs  to  keep  Membership 
all  dues  as  low  as  possible  in  order  to  and  charges. 
insure  a  larger  democracy  of  spirit  and  to  give  the 
widest  use  of  the  building  and  facilities  tothegreatest 


132  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

number.  The  dues  at  present  are  three  dollars  per 
annum  with  one  dollar  additional  charge  for  use  of 
gymnasium  and  plunge  bath  and  one  dollar  for  use  of 
steel  locker.  The  charges  in  the  poolroom  are  2 
cents  per  cue,  and  30  cents  per  frame.  There  are 
no  extras  or  incidentals  to  be  met  in  connection  with 
membership.  It  is  a  striking  fact  that  although  this 
building  has  been  open  for  nine  years,  it  is  practi- 
cally governed  without  rules,  saving  those  unwritten 
ones  that  govern  all  self-respecting  bodies.  Members 
are  never  hindered  in  the  free  use  of  the  building, 
and  an  infraction  of  those  unwritten  rules  that  have 
to  do  with  order  has  been  so  uncommon  as  to  make 
it  notable.  Any  man  is  eligible  for  membership  on 
the  presentation  of  a  card  subscribed  to  by  one  mem- 
ber. The  building  is  open  every  day  from  9  a.  m. 
to  11  p.  m.,  and  on  Sundays  from  1 :30  until  10  p.  m. 

The  Church  Temperance  Society  of  'New  York 
City  conducts  a  saloon  substitute  on  the  Bowery, 
Oh  r  h  l^rg^^y  for  the  benefit  of  the  men  in  the 

Temperance  many  cheaper  lodging  houses  in  that 
ociety.  neighborhood.     It  is  known  as  "Squirrel 

Inn."  Pour  hundred  men  a  day  patronize  the  read- 
ing-room. There  is  a  general  library  of  five  hundred 
volumes.  Twice  a  month  free  entertainments  are 
given. 

In  addition  to  this  enterprise,  the  Church  Temper- 
ance Society  operates  five  lunch  wagons  which  are 
located  near  the  parks  of  the  city,  for  the  special 
benefit  of  motormen  and  conductors  and  other  men 


Social  Centres  133 

who  are  employed  upon  the  street  The  Society  has 
a  special  wagon  for  the  use  of  coachmen  who  are  de- 
tained upon  the  street  at  the  more  important  social 
functions  of  the  city,  to  whom  they  supply  coffee  and 
sandwiches.  Very  frequently  250  coachmen  receive 
in  this  manner  the  benefit  of  this  helpful  ministra- 
tion. During  the  winter  season  the  motormen  and 
conductors  at  an  important  terminal  are  supplied 
free  of  charge  with  coffee.  During  the  past  five 
years  the  Society  has  also  supplied  free  coffee  for  the 
city  firemen  during  the  progress  of  large  fires.  The 
men  of  the  street-cleaning  department  have  also  been 
helped  in  this  way.  The  cost  of  the  wagons  is  about 
$1,000  each.  They  were  donated  to  the  Society  by 
friends.  Twenty-two  ice-water  fountains  in  the 
tenement-house  districts  are  stationed  upon  the 
streets  for  the  free  use  of  the  tenement  dwellers. 
These  are  supported  from  the  profits  of  the  lunch 
wagons. 

The  splendid  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  has  undoubtedly  been  a  great  factor  in 
the  matter  of  providing  substitutes  for  y  un  M  n' 
the  saloon.  The  testimony  of  the  rail-  Oiristiau 
road  officials  with  reference  to  the  value 
of  the  railroad  branches  of  the  Association  indicates 
that  this  has  been  true  among  railroad  men.  The 
special  work  for  seamen,  soldiers,  and  other  classes 
has  helped  in  this  direction,  but  particularly  has  the 
work  of  the  Association  been  effective  in  providing 
for  the  large  number  of  clerks  in  our  cities,  who 


134  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

need  just  the  ministration  which  the  Association 
gives. 

The  recently  developed  work  for  the  industrial 
classes  has  in  it  great  possibilities,  because  the  As- 
sociation may  engage  in  this  kind  of  work  with 
greater  effectiveness  than  the  employers,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  employers  find  it  almost  impossible  to 
guard  against  the  resentment  which  is  so  constantly 
met  among  workingmen  at  the  slightest  appearance 
of  paternalism.  This  is  especially  true  in  the  social 
work  which  has  been  attempted  by  many  large  em- 
ployers. It  has  been  found  most  satisfactory  when 
employers  have  turned  over  to  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  practically  all  their  welfare 
work,  on  account  of  the  democratic  spirit  that  pre- 
vails in  such  enterprises  when  conducted  by  the  As- 
sociation. 

Municipal  Centres 

Conscious  of  the  need  of  social  centres,  many 
American  municipalities  have  established  such  enter- 
prises. Not  only  have  parks  been  provided  in  the 
tenement-house  districts,  but  buildings  have  been 
erected  which  are  used  the  year  round  for  social  pur- 
poses. 

They  are  not  charitable  institutions.  It  is  a 
false  idea  to  imagine  that  only  people  who  own 
Hot  oharita-  real  estate  pay  taxes  to  the  municipality, 
ble  institationa.  Everybody  that  pays  rent  is  an  in- 
direct  taxpayer.     Indeed,    almost    any   kind   of   a 


Social  Centres  135 

purchaser  is  an  indirect  taxpayer,  so  that  the  social 
centres  provided  by  the  city  are  really  paid  .for,  to  a 
very  large  extent,  by  the  people  who  enjoy  their 
benefits. 

Private  philanthropy  is  very  frequently  spasmodic. 
It  is  most  conspicuous  during  hard  times  or  when 
some  individual  has  been  touched  by  peculiar  condi- 
tions which  demand  special  and  immediate  attention. 
Many  religious  organizations,  in  their  efforts  in  this 
direction,  cannot  reach  many  who  are  most  needy, 
but  a  social  centre  established  by  the  municipality 
usually  becomes  a  permanent  institution.  It  may  be- 
come the  centre  of  practically  every  movement  which 
has  to  do  with  the  life  of  the  people.  Therefore, 
work  of  this  kind  should  be  encouraged  in  our  cities. 

Social  Settlements 

Partly  as  a  protest  against  the  mysticism  in  re- 
ligious life,  Frederic  Denison  Maurice,  Charles 
Kingsley,  and  Thomas  Hughes  began  „ ,  j^ 
work  among  the  poor  of  London,  out  of     to  help  them- 

8filv68 

which  grew  the  social-settlement  idea.  It 
was  very  soon  discovered  that  workingmen  must  help 
themselves  if  they  were  to  be  helped.  The  best  that 
outsiders  could  do  for  them  was  in  the  way  of  inspira- 
tion and  suggestion.  This  is  the  service  which  the 
social  settlement  most  effectively  renders  the  poor  of 
our  great  cities.  Edward  Denison,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers in  social-settlement  work  in  London,  speaks 
thus  about  his  work : 


136  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

"My  opinion  about  the  great  sphere  of  usefulness 
to  which  I  should  find  myself  admitted  by  coming  to 
live  here  is  completely  justified.  All  is  yet  in  em- 
bryo, but  it  will  grow.  Just  now  I  only  teach  a  night 
school,  and  do  what  in  me  lies  in  looking  after  the 
sick,  keeping  an  eye  upon  nuisances  and  the  like,  see- 
ing that  the  local  authorities  keep  to  their  work.  I 
go  to-morrow  before  the  board  at  the  workhouse  to 
compel  the  removal  to  the  infirmary  of  a  man  who 
ought  to  have  been  there  already.  I  shall  drive  the 
sanitary  inspector  to  put  the  act  against  overcrowd- 
ing in  force,  with  regard  to  some  houses  in  which 
there  have  been  as  many  as  eight  and  ten  bodies  oc- 
cupying one  room." 

The  Rev.  S.  A.  Barnett,  after  ten  years'  experience 

in  Whitechapel,  said  to  some  Oxford  students  that 

„  .it    would    be    of    little    use    merely    to 

Message  not  ^  ■^ 

in  lectures  but  sccure  a  room  in  East  London  where 
University  Extension  lectures  might  be 
given,  as  they  were  thinking  of  doing.  He  said 
that  every  message  to  the  poor  would  be  vain  if 
it  did  not  come  expressed  in  the  life  of  a  brother 
man. 

Modem  social-settlement  work  is  founded  upon 
this  earlier  experience. 

Naturally,  each  social  settlement  does  its  peculiar 
work,  which  is  determined  first  by  the  previous 
training  and  tastes  of  the  residents,  and  second,  by 
the  character  of  the  neighborhood  in  which  the  settle- 
ment is  situated.     The  primary  idea  in  settlement 


Social  Centres  137 

work  is  tlie  sharing  of  the  life  of  the  poor  by  those 
who  may  have  had  better  advantages. 

The  social  settlement  had  been  in  operation  in 
England  nearly  twenty  years,  when  Dr.  Stanton  Colt 
established,  in  1887,  the  first  American  pirstAmeri- 
settlement,  just  east  of  the  Bowery  in  oaa  settlement* 
"New  York  City.  Dr.  Coit  called  his  under- 
taking a  "Neighborhood  Guild,"  and  the  concep- 
tion of  the  settlement  set  forth  in  his  book,  "Neigh- 
borhood Guilds,"  and  since  worked  out  to  a  degree  by 
him  in  Leighton  Hall  in  London,  is  probably  the  most 
satisfactory  that  has  ever  been  set  forth. 

Two  years  after  the  opening  of  the  Neighborhood 
Guild  two  settlements  were  established  so  nearly  at 
the  same  time  that  the  matter  of  priority  is  an  ami- 
ably mooted  question — the  College  Settlement  in 
New  York  and  Hull  House  in  Chicago.  Since  then 
settlements  have  been  established  in  all  our  great 
cities.  The  term  is  used  with  such  laxity  that  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  how  many  genuine  enterprises  of  this 
sort  there  are  in  this  country. 

Caroline  Williamson  Montgomery,  in  the  "Bibli- 
ography of  Settlements,"  defines  the  aim  of  social 
settlements  as  follows : 

"The  settlement  movement  is  only  one  manifesta- 
tion of  that  wide  humanitarian  movement  which, 
throughout  Christendom,  but  pre-emi-  Aim  of  the 
nently  in  England,  is  endeavoring  to  em-  settlement, 
body  itself  not  in  a  sect,  but  in  society  itself.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  spiritual  force  is  found  in  the  settle- 


138  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ment  movement,  and  it  is  also  true  that  this  force 
must  be  evoked  and  must  be  called  into  play  before 
the  success  of  any  settlement  is  assured.  There 
must  be  the  overmastering  belief  that  all  that  is 
noblest  in  life  is  common  to  men  as  men,  in  order  to 
accentuate  the  likeness  and  ignore  the  differences 
which  are  found  among  the  people  the  settlement 
constantly  brings  into  juxtaposition.  It  aims  in  a 
measure  to  lead  whatever  of  social  life  its  neighbor- 
hood may  afford,  to  focus  and  give  form  to  that  life, 
to  bring  to  bear  upon  it  the  results  of  cultivation  and 
training;  but  it  receives  in  exchange  for  the  music 
of  isolated  voices  the  volume  and  strength  of  the 
chorus.  The  settlement,  then,  is  an  experimental 
effort  to  aid  in  the  solution  of  the  social  and  indus- 
trial problems  which  are  engendered  by  the  modem 
conditions  of  life  in  a  great  city. 

"It  insists  that  these  problems  are  not  confined  to 
any  portion  of  a  city.  It  is  an  attempt  to  relieve. 
Rich  and  at  the  same  time,  the  over-accumulation 
poor  benefited,  ^t  one  end  of  society  and  the  destitution 
at  the  other;  but  it  assumes  that  this  over-accumula- 
tion and  destitution  is  most  sorely  felt  in  things  that 
pertain  to  social  and  educational  advantages.  The 
one  thing  to  be  dreaded  in  the  settlement  is  that  it 
may  lose  its  flexibility,  its  power  of  quick  adaptation, 
its  readiness  to  change  its  methods  as  its  environment 
may  demand.  It  must  be  open  to  conviction  and 
must  have  a  deep  and  abiding  sense  of  tolerance.  It 
must  be  hospitable  and  ready  for  experiment.     It 


Social  Centres  139 

should  demand  from  its  residents  a  scientific  patience 
in  accmnulation  of  facts  and  the  steady  holding  of 
their  sympathies  as  one  of  the  best  instruments  for 
that  accumulation." 

According  to  this  writer,  the  settlement  largely 
fails  to  realize  this  ideal  for  three  reasons:  First, 
many  of  the  residents  do  not  come  to  set-  where  the 
tie  but  spend  a  limited  number  of  months  settlements  fail, 
in  the  hope  of  doing  a  little  and  learning  much. 
Second,  nearly  every  settlement  is  compelled, 
through  periodical  statistical  reports,  to  justify 
its  existence  in  the  eyes  of  outside  sub- 
scribers. Third,  from  these  facts  of  transient 
workers  and  tabulated  reports  there  follows 
as  a  necessary  evil  the  widespread  tendency  to  em- 
ploy machinery  in  order  to  produce  effects.  Al- 
though the  number  of  so-called  settlements  has 
largely  increased,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact 
that  many  of  them  are  training  colleges,  not  settle- 
ments at  all,  and  that  no  real  attempt  has  been  made 
to  realize  the  settlement  ideal  except  by  a  few  scat- 
tered individuals.  So  long  as  90  per  cent,  of  the 
residents  turn  their  back  on  the  colony  as  soon  as  they 
have  gained  enough  experience  to  be  valuable,  not  very 
extensive  results  may  be  hoped  for.  Their  stability 
in  the  future  depends  on  the  amount  of  personal 
service  they  can  secure  of  the  kind  that  is  needed. 

It  is  unfair  to  social  settlements  to  judge  of  the 
effectiveness  of  their  work  by  the  same  standards  that 
We  apply  to  the  work  of  the  Church,  because  the  set- 


140  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

tlement  is  not  a  church.     It  has  a  very  distinct  place 
as  an  institution  in  our  municipal  life. 

While  in  many  settlements  no  religious  work  is  at- 
tempted, there  is  usually  no  rule  which  prohibits  a 
Opportunity  resident  from  exercising  whatever  per- 
workinso^Ll  soual  influence  he  desires.  It  is  quite 
settlement.  likely  that  a  majority  of  the  residents 
are  members  of  Christian  churches.  Sometimes 
they  are  at  work  in  the  settlements  for  no  other  rea- 
son than  that  they  were  not  given  an  opportunity  to 
work  out  their  talents  in  their  church  homes.  It  is 
often  imagined  that  because  a  Christian  cannot  teach 
a  Sunday-school  class,  or  engage  in  some  other  famil- 
iar form  of  Christian  work,  there  is  no  place  for  him 
in  the  work  of  the  Church.  It  is  at  this  point  that 
the  Church  fails  to  hold  many,  men  especially,  to 
whom  it  might  appeal,  were  the  work  offered  more  in 
line  with  the  growing  social  spirit.  However,  it  is 
a  mistake  to  suppose  that  no  direct  religious  work 
must  be  attempted  in  a  social  settlement.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  some  of  the  strongest  social  settlements 
are  founded  upon  a  religious  basis:  Oxford  House, 
St.  Margaret's  House,  Mansfield  House,  The  Kobert 
Browning  Settlement,  The  Settlement  of  Women 
Workers  in  Canning  Town,  Bermondsey  Settlement, 
— all  of  them  in  London, — and  the  Church  Settle- 
ment House  and  Christodora  House  in  'New  York 
City,  are  among  the  most  successful  settlements,  and 
are  founded  frankly  and  positively  on  Christianity, 
most  of  them  being  aggressive  in  evangelistic  work. 


VI 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  CITY 

Chances  for  the  Child  of  the  Tenement 

N^ature  starts  all  her  children,  rich  and  poor,  phys- 
ically equal.  This,  broadly  speaking,  is  the  opinion 
of  many  leading  physicians.  If  the  number  of 
children  born  healthy  and  strong  is  not  greater  among 
the  well-to-do  than  among  the  very  poorest,  then  it 
presents  to  us  a  very  significant  fact,  which  com- 
pletely revolutionizes  many  notions  as  to  the  great 
disadvantage  of  being  horn  in  the  tenement. 

What  happens  to  the  tenement  child  after  its  birth 
is  quite  another  story.  Nature  is  not  responsible  for 
that.  She  has  done  her  best.  If  poverty  Nature's  in- 
or  indifference  or  sin  blight  her  fair  work,  e^oralle  law. 
she  stands  uncondemned.  But  she  is  not  content 
in  accepting  a  position  in  which  she  is  exonerated. 
The  violation  of  her  law  is  followed  by  an  unfor- 
giving pursuit,  until  the  full  penalty  has  been  in- 
flicted, for  with  nature  there  is  no  forgiveness 
of  sin.  However,  while  the  sins  of  the  father 
are  visited  upon  the  children  to  the  third 
and  fourth  generation,  it  need  hardly  be  added  that 
this  law  applies  equally  to  the  rich  and  the  poor. 

141 


142  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Nature  makes  no  class  distinctions  in  the  operation 
of  her  laws. 

This  equality  at  birth  does  not  long  favor  the  child 
of  the  slum  and  the  tenement.  Vital  statistics 
quickly  prove  this  statement,  for  the  burden  and  the 
penalty  of  poverty  and  its  accompanying  evils  fall 
most  heavily  upon  the  child.  The  lack  of  proper 
nourishment,  of  suitable  clothing,  of  healthy  sanitary 
conditions,  make  life  precarious  for  the  babe  who 
must  suffer  on  account  of  their  absence.  When  such 
a  state  becomes  chronic,  the  chances  for  life  are  ex- 
ceedingly small. 

Death's   scythe   sweeps   relentlessly   through   the 

ranks  of  little  children,  whose  cry  for  food  has  chilled 

T>    _x_i         a  thousand  mothers'  hearts.     Then  are 

PoTerty'8 

prescribed  hushed  a  thousand  babies'  voices,  who 
^'     ^'  suffered    long    because    there    was    no 

skilful  hand  to  nurse,  and  no  healing  draught 
to  cure.  For  rarely  can  the  poor  call  the  physician 
as  often  as  is  needful,  and  seldom  can  they  af- 
ford to  buy  the  medicine  so  necessary  in  times  of 
illness. 

John  Spargo,  in  "The  Bitter  Cry  of  the  Children," 
says: 

"Wherever  there  is  much  poverty  the  death-rate  is 
high  and  rises  higher  with  every  rise  of  the  tide  of 
want  and  misery.  In  London,  Bethnal  Green's 
death-rate  is  nearly  double  that  of  Belgravia;  in 
Paris,  the  poverty-stricken  district  of  Menilmontant 
has  a  death-rate  twice  as  high  as  that  of  the  Elysee ; 


The  Children  of  the  City  143 

in  Chicago,  the  death-rate  varies  from  about  twelve 
per  thousand  in  the  wards  where  the  well-to-do  reside 
to  thirty-seven  per  thousand  in  the  tenement  wards. 
The  ill-developed  bodies  of  the  poor,  underfed  and 
overburdened  with  toil,  have  not  the  powers  of  re- 
sistance to  disease  possessed  by  the  bodies  of  the 
more  fortunate.  .  .  . 

"As  we  ascend  the  social  scale  the  span  of  life 
lengthens  and  the  death-rate  gradually  diminishes, 
the   death-rate   of  the   poorest  class   of       „ 

r  Comparative 

workers  being  three  and  a  half  times  as  chances  of 
great  as  that  of  the  well-to-do.  It  is  es- 
timated that  among  10,000,000  persons  of  the  latter 
class  the  annual  deaths  do  not  number  more  than 
100,000 ;  among  the  best  paid  of  the  working  class, 
the  number  is  not  less  than  150,000 ;  while 
among  the  poorest  workers  the  number  is  at  least 
350,000.  .  .  . 

"This  difference  in  the  death-rates  of  the  various 
social  classes  is  even  more  strongly  marked  in  the 
case  of  infants.  Mortality  in  the  first  year  of  life 
differs  enormously,  according  to  the  circumstances 
of  the  parents  and  the  amount  of  intelligent  care  be- 
stowed upon  the  infants.  In  Boston's  Back  Bay 
district  the  death-rate  at  all  ages  last  year  was  13.45 
per  thousand  as  compared  with  18.45  in  the  Thir- 
teenth Ward,  which  is  a  typical  working-class  dis- 
trict, and  of  the  total  number  of  deaths  the  percent- 
age under  one  year  was  9.44  in  the  former  as  against 
25.21  in  the  latter." 


144  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Wolf,  in  his  classic  studies  based  upon  the  vital 

statistics  of  Erfurt  for  a  period  of  twenty  years, 

Fi     es  from    ^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^  every  1,000  children  bom 

twenty  years'      in  working-class  families,   505   died  in 

^'  the  first  year ;  among  the  middle  classes, 

173,  and  among  the  higher  classes,  only  89. 
Dr.  Charles  R.  Drysdale,  Senior  Physician  of 
the  Metropolitan  Free  Hospital,  London,  declared 
some  years  ago  that  the  death-rate  of  infants  among 
the  rich  was  not  more  than  8  per  cent.,  while  among 
the  very  poor  it  was  often  as  high  as  40  per  cent. 
Dr.  Playfair  says  that  18  per  cent,  of  the  children  of 
the  upper  classes,  36  per  cent,  of  the  tradesman  class, 
and  55  per  cent,  of  those  of  the  working-class  die 
under  the  age  of  five  years. 

Here,  then,  is  a  challenge :  Shall  we  surrender  the 
children  of  the  poor  to  poverty's  grim  demand,  or 
shall  we  answer  Christ's  command,  "Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  Me,"  by  giving  them  the  larger, 
fuller,  more  abundant  life  which  He  came  to  bestow 
upon  the  children  of  men  ? 

The  Children  in  the  Factory 

Child  labor  is  one  of  the  greatest  curses  of  our 

industrial  age.     According  to  the  most  reliable  sta- 

p.  tistics,  it  is  rapidly  increasing,  in  spite  of 

important-fact   the  fact  that  we  are  living  in  one  of  the 

remains.  ,  •     i     •       a  •  i  • 

most  prosperous  periods  m  American  his- 
tory. Certain  manufacturers  of  mill  machinery  ad- 
vertise as  one  of  the  advantages  of  their  machines, 


The  Children  of  the  City  145 

that   they   are   adapted  to   the   use   of  very   small 
children. 

It  is  impossible  to  secure  absolutely  accurate  fig- 
ures as  to  how  many  young  children  are  employed  in 
mills  and  factories.  Some  there  are  who  tell  us  that 
there  are  two  and  a  half  millions,  while  others  insist 
that  there  are  but  one  million.  But  what  if  there 
are  only  half  a  million  ?  Would  this  not  be  sufficient 
to  arouse  to  action  every  lover  of  childhood — aye, 
every  man  and  woman  who  believes  in  the  crudest 
code  of  ethics  which  condemns  the  suffering  of  even 
the  beasts  of  the  field  ?  And  are  not  our  children 
worthy  of  deeper  concern  than  these  ? 

What  are  some  of  the  arguments  produced  in  favor 
of  child  labor  ?  It  is  insisted  that  it  is  an  industrial 
necessity. 

If  child  labor  were  abolished,  we  are  told,  certain 
forms  of  industry  would  cease  to  be  profitable.  It 
is  rather  peculiar  that  this  argument  is  Aignments 
employed  only  in  connection  with  such  for  child  labor, 
industries  as  will  permit  the  employment  of  children. 
It  is  never  used  when  speaking  of  the  brick-layer,  the 
carpenter,  the  machinist.  If  child  labor  were  sud- 
denly to  be  abolished,  what  is  there  to  prevent  the 
particular  occupations  which  employed  them  from 
assuming  a  place  in  the  industrial  world  which  would 
warrant  the  employment  of  older  people  ? 

The  statement  that  the  material  produced  could 
not  be  so  cheaply  manufactured  is  not  always  true  to 
fact.     Child    labor    is  not     always    cheap — viewed 


146  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

simply  from  the  commercial  standpoint.  Just  as  it 
is  true  that  the  highest-paid  labor  is  usually  the 
oiiid  1  b  cheapest  labor,  because  it  possesses 
not  always  greater  skill,  so  the  work  of  adults,  or 
**  *'^'  even  that  of  young  people  developed  be- 

yond the  tender  age  of  childhood,  is  productive  of 
greater  and  better  results. 

Felix  Adler  points  out  that  at  the  time  when  the 
two  principal  industries  of  England — the  textile  and 
the  coal-mining  industries — ^were  prohibited  from 
employing  children,  there  was  a  tremendous  outcry, 
and  it  was  freely  predicted  that  those  branches  would 
cease  to  be  profitable,  and  especially  that  England 
would  cease  to  be  able  to  compete  in  the  matter  of 
textiles  and  coal  with  foreign  countries.  But  what 
has  been  the  result?  That  England  is  stronger  to- 
day— ^not  in  spite  of,  but  because  she  has  forbidden 
child  labor — in  just  those  two  branches  of  industry 
than  she  was  at  the  time  when  those  sinister  predic- 
tions were  uttered.  And  so  if  it  is  said  that  the 
glass  industry,  for  instance,  cannot  be  carried  on 
without  child  labor  there  is  the  fact  to  be  noted  that 
the  largest  glass  house  in  the  State  of  Ohio  is  carried 
on  without  child  labor,  and  does  not  appear  to  be 
conducted  at  a  loss. 

But  suppose  that  some  industry  should  be  com- 
pelled to  give  up  on  account  of  the  abolition  of  child 
Oheoksor  labor.  Which  is  of  more  importance — 
ohUdren?  ^j^g  jj^gg  ^f  hundreds  of  thousands  of 

little  children,  or  the  profit  on  their  product?    And 


The  Children  of  the  City  147 

who  can  successfully  deny  that  factory  life  is  blight- 
ing and  withering  to  the  young  children  who  are 
daily  confined  to  monotonous  tasks,  which,  in  most 
cases,  forever  sap  the  vital  energy  which  gives  hope 
and  strength  for  future  better  things? 

Watch  the  stream  of  little  children  as  they  hasten 
to  their  toil.  See  the  set,  stolid  faces,  old  beyond 
their  years.  Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of  these  ? 
Sometimes,  by  sheer  strength  of  character,  there 
emerge  from  among  this  mass  of  little  ones  those 
who  seem  unaffected  by  their  former  surroundings 
and  occupations,  but  in  most  cases,  even  these  carry 
in  their  bodies  and  in  their  minds  the  marks  of  those 
earlier  years,  handicapped  forever,  just  when  the 
best  in  men — physical  and  mental — is  needed,  and 
of  which  they  have  been  deprived. 

Over  a  century  ago,  upon  the  occasion  of  a  fever 
epidemic,  the  medical  men  of  Manchester,  England, 
wrote  a  protest  against  the  employment        „    ,    ^ 

r  o  r     J  Manchester 

of  little  children  in  the  mills  of  that  city,     child  labor  a 
They  said:  "We  are  decided  in  our  opin-     "^^^'^y ^go- 
ion  that  the  disorder  has  been  supported,  diffused, 
and  aggravated  by  the  injury  done  to  young  persons 
through  confinement  and  too  long  continued  labor,  to 
which  evil  the  cotton  mills  have  given  occasion." 

In  1Y96  the  Manchester  Board  of  Health  said  that 
they  "have  had  their  attention  particularly  directed 
to  the  large  cotton  factories  established  in  the  town 
and  neighborhood  of  Manchester  .  .  .  that  the 
children    and    others    who    work    in    large    cotton 


148  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

factories  are  peculiarly  disposed  to  be  affected 
by  the  contagion  of  fever,  and  that  when  such 
infection  is  received  it  is  rapidly  propagated.  .  .  . 
The  untimely  labor  of  the  night  and  the  pro- 
tracted labor  of  the  day,  with  respect  to  children, 
not  only  tends  to  diminish  future  expectations  as 
to  the  general  sum  of  life  and  industry  by  im- 
pairing the  strength  and  destroying  the  vital 
stamina  of  the  rising  generation,  but  it  too  often 
gives  encouragement  to  idleness,  extravagance,  and 
profligacy  in  the  parents,  who,  contrary  to  the  order 
of  nature,  subsist  by  the  oppression  of  their  off- 
spring." 

The  South  African  war  revealed  the  fact  that  pro- 
tective and  effective  legislation  for  these  mill  chil- 
„    ,,  ,         dren   came    too   late.     That  which   the 

Sesnlts  in 

South  Afrioaa  Manchester  physicians  of  the  eighteenth 
century  had  foretold  was  evident  to  all 
the  world  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century. 
Said  one  of  the  important  magazine  articles  of  the 
year:  "In  a  day  it  seemed  that  the  nation  awoke  to 
the  fact  that  its  physical  vigor  was  sapped.  It  had 
no  material  for  soldiers.  The  percentage  of  rejec- 
tions at  the  enlistment  stations  appalled  every  re- 
flective mind.  The  standards  were  lowered,  the  tests 
were  conveniently  made  easy.  Regiments  were 
patched  together  of  boys  and  anemic  youths.  They 
were  food  for  the  hospitals,  not  for  powder.  Once 
in  South  Africa,  enteric  fever  swept  them  off  like 
flies.      They    were    only    the    shells    of    men.  .  .  . 


The  Children  of  the  City  149 

Men  gathered  from  the  despatches  that,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  the  war  was  fought  on  the  British  side 
by  the  Colonials,  Irish,  and  Scotch."  Hear  the 
testimony  from  Manchester  after  a  hundred  years: 
"The  president  of  a  Manchester  improvement  associ- 
ation testified  that  there  were  large  districts  in  Man- 
chester in  which  there  were  no  well-grown  children 
or  men  or  women,  except  those  who  have  been  born  in 
the  country." 

Another  excuse  given  for  the  employment  of  chil- 
dren is  that  even  their  small  earnings  are  necessary 
for  the  support  of  the  family.     This  sup-  „       . 

posed  condition  has  been  greatly  exag-  needed  ty 

gerated.     Frequently,  when  the   father  ^^  ^' 

has  been  able  to  take  care  of  the  family  without  any 
assistance  from  his  children,  he  has  nevertheless  sent 
them  to  the  factory,  because  it  was  the  custom  in  the 
community  to  send  children  to  the  factory  when  they 
arrived  at  a  certain  age.  This  custom  has  some- 
times resulted  in  the  entire  family's  earning  only  as 
much  as  the  father  himself  once  earned,  because  of 
the  competition  between  the  father  and  his  children, 
which,  of  necessity,  reduced  his  own  wages. 

In  some  cases  of  poverty,  especially  that  which  ex- 
ists when  a  widow  is  left  with  a  number  of  small 
children,  it  may  seem  necessary  to  send  her  children 
into  the  factory.  But  even  under  such  circum- 
stances, it  would  be  wiser  for  the  state  to  send  her 
children  to  school,  and  to  enact  laws  looking  to  the 
public   relief   of   destitute   families   of   this   kind. 


150  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

It  is  better  for  the  state  to  furnish  outright  re- 
lief than  to  see  the  standard  of  living  of  whole 
sections  of  the  population  lowered  by  child  compe- 
tition. 

Some  there  are  who  declare  that  the  children  of 
the  poor  are  incapable  of  better  things,  and  that  they 
might  better  be  sent  to  the  factory.  A  manufac- 
turer, standing  near  the  furnace  of  a  glass-house  and 
pointing  to  a  procession  of  young  Slav  boys  who  were 
carrying  the  glass  on  trays,  remarked :  "Look  at  their 
faces,  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  idle  to  take  them 
from  the  glass-house  in  order  to  give  them  an  educa- 
tion ;  they  are  what  they  are,  and  will  always  remain 
what  they  are."  He  meant  that  there  are  some  hu- 
man beings — and  these  Slavs  of  the  number — who 
are  mentally  irredeemable,  so  fast  asleep  intellectu- 
ally that  they  cannot  be  awakened ;  designed  by  na- 
ture, therefore,  to  be  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of 
water. 

It  is  the  same  thing  which  has  been  said  from  time 
immemorial  by  the  slave-owners  of  their  slaves.  As 
Aninhtimaa  Felix  Adler  once  said:  "First  they  de- 
argument,  grade  human  beings  by  denying  them  the 
opportunity  to  develop  their  better  nature;  no 
schools,  no  teaching,  no  freedom,  no  outlook;  and 
then,  as  if  in  mockery,  they  point  to  the  degraded 
condition  of  their  victims  as  a  reason  why  they 
should  never  be  allowed  to  escape  from  it.  Such  an 
argument  is  un-American  and  inhuman." 

Samuel  McCune  Lindsay,  Secretary  of  the  Ka- 


The  Children  of  the  City  1 5 1 

tional  Child  Labor  Committee,  calls  attention  to  an 
important  consideration : 

"The  problem  of  child  labor  is  a  national  problem," 
he  says,  "because  the  responsibility  for  it  rests  upon 
the  consumers  and  purchasers  of  goods  individual 
made  with  the  aid  of  the  work  of  young  ""po^ibiuty. 
children,  whether  the  purchaser  and  consumer  lives 
in  a  manufacturing  State  or  in  an  agricultural  com- 
munity, in  Georgia  or  in  California.  With  the  ex- 
tension of  our  system  of  manufacturing  and  the  con- 
ditions brought  about  by  world  markets,  you  and  I 
cannot  very  well  avoid  some  participation  in  these 
evils  so  long  as  we  are  buyers  of  American-made 
goods ;  and  we  cannot  more  surely  or  reasonably  sat- 
isfy our  consciences  that  we  are  not  the  oppressors 
— the  real  oppressors  of  these  little  children — un- 
til we  are  satisfied  that  this  American  standard  of 
protection  reaches  out  over  all  the  children  and 
through  all  the  industries  of  our  American  States. 

"We  are  then  individually  and  collectively  account- 
able for  the  American  standard  or  lack  of  standard 
■of  protection  of  childhood.  A  national  sentiment 
must,  and  can  be  made  effective  according  as  the  dif- 
ferent conditions  and  problems  presented  in  each 
State  and  Territory  are  met  and  solved  in  the  light  of 
the  best  legislation  and  enforcement  of  child-labor 
laws." 

The  "bargain  sales"  so  frantically  patronized  by 
working  people,  as  well  as  by  others,  should  be  made 
the  subject  of  careful  study.     Who  made  these  gar- 


152  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ments?  Where  were  they  manufactured?  These 
questions  should  be  answered  to  the  entire  satisfac- 
"Bargain"  ^^^^  ^^  ^he  consumer,  for  often  it  will  be 
sales.  revealed   that   these    "cheap"   garments 

are  the  price  of  little  children's  lives. 

In  an  address  on  sweat-shop  manufacturing,  de- 
livered before  the  New  York  City  Consumers' 
League,  Annie  S.  Daniel,  of  the  New  York  Infirmary 
for  Women  and  Children,  said : 

"The  workers,  poor,  helpless,  ignorant  foreigners, 
toil  on  in  dirt,  often  in  filth  unspeakable,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all  contagious  and  other  diseases,  and  in 
apartments  in  which  the  sun  enters  only  at  noon  or 
never  at  all.  The  tenement-house  department  states 
that  there  are  thousands  of  apartments  in  which  all 
rooms  open  on  an  air-shaft;  in  such  an  apartment  I 
attended  a  woman  ill  with  tuberculosis,  finishing 
trousers.  During  the  summer,  and  then  only  for 
about  two  hours,  daylight  (not  sunlight)  came  in. 
This  daylight  lasted  two  months,  and  for  this  place 
of  three  air-shaft  rooms  ten  dollars  per  month  was 
paid.  Three  years  of  life  in  this  apartment  killed 
the  woman.  The  finishers  are  made  up  of  the  old 
and  the  young,  the  sick  and  the  well.  As  soon  as  a 
little  child  can  be  of  the  least  possible  help,  it  must 
add  to  the  family  income  by  taking  a  share  in  the 
family  toil. 

"A  child  three  years  old  can  straighten  out  tobacco 
leaves  or  stick  the  rims  which  form  the  stamens  of 
artificial  flowers  through  the  petals.     He  can  put 


The  Children  of  the  City  153 

the  covers  on  paper  boxes  at  four  years.  He  can  do 
some  of  the  pasting  of  paper  boxes,  although,  as  a 
rule,  this  requires  a  child  of  six  to  eight  a  three-year- 
years.  But  from  four  to  six  years  he  old  worker, 
can  sew  on  buttons  and  pull  basting  threads.  A  girl 
from  eight  to  twelve  can  finish  trousers  as  well  as  her 
mother.  After  she  is  twelve,  if  of  good  size,  she  can 
earn  more  money  in  a  factory.  The  boys  do  practi- 
cally the  same  work  as  the  girls,  except  that  they 
leave  the  house-work  earlier,  and  enter  street  work, 
as  peddlers,  bootblacks,  and  newsboys. 

"The  sick,  as  long  as  they  can  hold  their  heads  up, 
must  work  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  their  living.  As 
soon  as  they  are  convalescent  they  must  begin  again. 
The  other  day  a  girl  of  eight  years  was  dismissed 
from  the  diphtheria  hospital  after  a  severe  attack  of 
the  disease.  Almost  immediately  she  was  working 
at  women's  collars,  although  scarcely  able  to  walk 
across  the  room  alone." 

The  Children  on  the  Streets 

The  city  street  presents  its  problems  in  this  con- 
nection. The  newsboy,  the  bootblack,  the  messen- 
ger boy,  the  peddler,  are  each  to  be  reck-  gome  street 
oned  with.  It  is  only  as  one  looks  be-  occupations. 
neath  the  glamour  of  their  street  Ufe,  that  one  sees 
the  real  problem.  It  is  said  that  there  are  at  least 
five  thousand  newsboys  in  Greater  New  York.  Most 
of  them  are  under  sixteen. 

Many  of  the  younger  boys  go  to  school,  but  tru- 


154  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ancy  is  quite  common.  We  often  admire  the  wit 
and  shrewdness  displayed  by  these  little  street 
merchants,  but  it  is  the  testimony  of  the  school- 
teacher that  they  are  very  slow  in  their  school-work. 
The  excitement  of  the  street  has  made  the  school  al- 
most valueless. 

Ernest  Poole,  whose  studies  of  tenement  and  in- 
dustrial life  have  made  him  an  authority  on  these 
questions,  says: 

"Most  newsboys  sell  from  three  to  eight  in  the 
evening.  But  on  Saturday  nights  and  in  times  of 
excitement,  hundreds  join  the  regular  'night  gang,' 
and  sell  until  long  after  midnight.  Short  loafing 
periods  come  in  between  editions,  and  it  is  then  that 
the  thousands  of  schoolboys  selling  papers  mingle 
with  the  hundreds  of  newsboy-arabs  pure  and  simple. 
These  'New  York  arabs  are  the  finished  products  of 
child  street  labor,  for  they  have  been  moulded  by  it 
since  the  ages  of  from  eight  to  twelve.  They  show 
best  its  unwholesome  irregularity.  They  are  scat- 
tered all  over  the  city.  They  make  up  the  larger 
part  of  the  night  gang  who  sell  papers  until  one  and 
two  and  often  three  in  the  morning.  They  number 
about  five  hundred. 

"The  newsboy's  work  is  built  wholly  on  excitement. 

He  is  always  hoping  for  it.     It  may  come  at  any 

Work  based     i^oJ^^nt.       Murder      trials,      'guilties,' 

upon  excite-       scandals,   accidents,   suicides — these   are 

their    stock    in    trade.     This    irregular 

work  makes  the  meals  generally  irregular.     In  a 


The  Children  of  the  City  155 

workingman's  family  the  principal  meal  of  the  day 
is  at  night.  This  is  interfered  with  by  the  work  of 
the  newsboy.  Hundreds  become  gradually  accus- 
tomed to  eating  at  lunch  counters,  and  some  to 
'swiping'  from  free  lunches  in  saloons.  The  diet 
is  made  up  chiefly  of  such  hostile  ingredients  as 
frankfurters,  mince  pies,  doughnuts,  ham-sandwiches, 
cakes,  'siukers,'  etc.  I  know  one  urchin  who  makes 
a  regular  breakfast  of  five  huge  buckwheat  cakes 
bought  for  a  nickel. 

"But  the  trouble  comes  later.    A  few  years  of  this 
irregular,  unhealthy  diet  cannot  fail  to  have  its  ef- 
fect.   I  lived  for  a  week  with  one  stunted       why 
waif  of  sixteen — as   attractive   a  little      Skinny  "is 

lavonte  news- 

chap  as  I  ever  met — ^who  had  used  this  boy  nickname, 
diet  of  the  street  for  some  eight  years.  On  three 
days  of  the  seven  he  would  eat  nothing  whatever, 
generally  breaking  these  fasts  by  coffee  and  mince 
pie.  No  wonder  that  'Skinny'  is  so  common  a  nick- 
name among  newsboys.  The  coffee  is  a  natural  ac- 
companiment of  the  irregularity  and  excitement.  It 
is  often  used  to  excess.  Four  bowls  in  an  evening  I 
have  found  common  in  the  'night  gang,'  and  I  know 
of  some  who  average  regularly  six.  Smoking  is  al- 
most universal.  It  is  natural  enough  to  blunt  hun- 
ger with  cigarettes.  Many  of  the  smallest  smoke  in- 
cessantly." 

Gambling  is  almost  universal  among  the  news- 
boys. It  is  another  way  of  gratifying  the  constant, 
unhealthy  craving  for  excitement,  and  hundreds  of 


156  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

them  flock  to  the  race-tracks.  But  most  common  is 
"crap-shooting,"  a  form  of  gambling  practised  by 
nearly  every  newsboy  in  our  American  cities. 

In  speaking  of  the  effect  of  street  life  on  the  news- 
boy, Mr.  Poole  says : 

"We  have  found  that  the  street  teaches  irregular 
habits  and  restlessness.  It  gives,  to  offset  these 
NoTiseful  habits,  no  useful  training  for  later  work, 
traming.  Newsboys  do  not  become  reporters.    One 

editor  of  long  standing  tells  me  that  he  knows  of  not 
a  single  instance.  The  most  energetic  boys  win  the 
few  places  open  each  year  in  the  newspaper  delivery 
departments.  But  these  occasional  openings  are  few 
indeed  compared  to  the  thousands  of  newsboys. 
Hence,  for  the  vast  majority,  their  work  gives  no 
training  for  later  trade  or  business.  By  comparing 
the  statements  of  delivery  men  all  over  the  city,  I 
find  that  most  newsboys  gain  later  work  on  wagons, 
in  factories,  and  in  the  markets ;  as  oflSce  boys,  cash 
boys,  and  messengers ;  while  a  few  become  travelling 
salesmen.  Some  win  places  of  fame  on  the  variety 
stage,  in  the  prize-ring,  and  at  the  race-tracks. 

"But  for  all  of  these  vocations  the  street  gives  no 
training  whatever.  It  does  worse.  For  the  same 
restlessness  that  makes  tramps  of  some,  keeps  hun- 
dreds more  constantly  changing  employment.  They 
have  always  the  old  street  work  to  fall  back  on.  Of 
over  one  hundred  ex-newsboys,  whose  average  age  was 
seventeen,  I  found  that  the  average  wage  was  barely 
four  dollars  per  week.     Many  were  much  lower. 


The  Children  of  the  City  157 

This  average  is  low  indeed  when  one  considers  that 
the  newsboy  at  the  beginning  of  his  career  is  gener- 
ally the  brightest  and  the  most  energetic  boy  of  the 
neighborhood. 

"The  street  takes  the  shrewdest,  quickest,  most 
attractive  little  urchins,  as  any  one  can  see  at  a 
glance.  All  who  know  the  little  chaps  -j  faiinres 
must  like  their  quick  wit  and  sturdy  en-  remain  to  teach 
terprise.  And  yet,  when  we  follow 
these  same  bright  little  urchins  to  their  later  lives, 
we  find  their  average  lower  than  the  average  of  any 
other  class.  It  is  true  that  a  few  rise  high  in  later  life. 
We  all  hear  frequently  of  some  noted  man  who  began 
life  as  a  newsboy.  But  those  few  successes  leave  the 
street  Their  good  influence  goes  with  them.  The 
failures  remain  to  teach  those  who  follow.  These 
failures,  the  five  hundred  among  the  five  thousand, 
are  the  ones  who  pull  the  newsboy  average  down  so 
low.  These  five  hundred  failures  give  reason  enough 
to  condemn  the  present  system  of  child  street  labor." 

Concerning  the  bootblack,  there  is  very  much  the 
same  story.  He  is  more  ignorant  than  the  newsboy. 
His  work  is  dirtier.  He  lives  in  the  BootWaoks  on 
gutter.  He  is  closest  to  the  street,  lo^"  level. 
There  are  not  as  many  independent  bootblacks  as 
there  were  a  few  years  ago,  because  the  occupation 
has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  men  who  own  the  street- 
stands,  which  are  presided  over  by  young  Italians 
who  are  employed  by  the  owner. 

It  is  said  that  the  "boss"  will  rarely  engage  a  boy 


158  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

who  has  come  from  the  street  as  an  independent 

bootblack,  because  of  their  thieving  and  gambling 

habits,  and  because  of  their  unreliability. 

The  messenger  boy's  life  is,  perhaps,  most  trying 

of  all.     He  has  the  same  long  and  irregular  hours  of 

„  work,   and  no  regular  time   for  meals. 

Messenger  ^      '  o 

boy's  tempta-  His  work  does  not  educate  him  for 
better  things.  There  are  few  chances 
for  promotion. 

The  ITew  York  Child  Labor  Committee,  in  one  of 
its  reports,  says  concerning  the  messenger  boy : 

"The  conditions  of  the  work  are  such  that  the 
boy's  principles  of  honesty  are  assailed.  A  boy  has 
to  be  in  the  service  but  a  few  days  to  learn  that  he  can 
increase  his  wage  of  four  or  five  or  six  dollars  a  week 
by  practising  a  little  dishonesty.  They  learn  that, 
by  exercising  discretion,  they  can  safely  collect  more 
than  the  regular  rate  for  a  message  and  pocket  the 
excess  charge.  They  learn  that  when,  out  on  an  er- 
rand, they  meet  some  one  who  desires  a  message  de- 
livered at  once  they  can  deliver  the  two  messages,  re- 
port only  the  first  and  retain  for  themselves  the 
money  received  for  the  second.  They  learn,  if  they 
will  report  to  the  office,  after  answering  a  call  and 
delivering  a  message,  that  'the  lady  wasn't  quite 
ready — she  said  she'd  call  again,'  they  probably  will 
be  able  to  keep  the  money  paid  for  the  call.  The 
temptation  to  an  undeveloped  boy  of  under  fourteen 
is  almost  irresistible.  The  other  boys  are  all  prac- 
tising these  deceptions  and  profiting  thereby.     Tell- 


The  Children  of  the  City  159 

ing  lies  of  this  sort  is  such  an  easy  matter.  .  .  . 
And  so  the  new  boy  adopts  the  practice  of  his  fellows, 
and  his  moral  undoing  has  begun. 

"But  far  more  dangerous  to  the  boy  than  any  of 
these  temptations  are  the  immoral  influences  with 
which  he  is  apt  to  come  in  contact.  He  Oomes  in  con- 
is  likely  to  see  the  very  worst  of  life-  ^'ITm^ 
especially  if  he  be  employed  in  an  office  e^ces. 
located  in  the  Tenderloin  district.  The  penal  code 
declares  it  a  misdemeanor  to  send  a  minor  to  carry  a 
message  to  a  house  of  ill-repute,  or  to  deliver  from 
such  a  house.  But  it  has  been  found  impossible  to 
enforce  the  law.  It  is  a  dead  letter.  And  so  the 
messenger  boys  are  at  the  beck  and  call  of  the  women 
of  these  houses.  While  waiting  to  receive  a  message, 
or  to  have  one  signed  for,  they  cannot  avoid  being 
witnesses  to  scenes  of  the  most  abandoned  licentious- 
ness. Occasionally  they  are  urged,  even  forced  to 
join  in  the  drinking.  There  is  much  sport  to  be  had 
in  getting  a  messenger  boy  drunk.  And  the  sport  is 
particularly  rare  if  the  boy  is  only  fourteen,  and  has 
never  tasted  liquor  before. 

"Saddest  of  all,  the  boys  like  the  Tenderloin.  Here 
money  is  freest.  Tips  are  larger,  and  no  one  objects 
to  an  overcharge.  A  messenger  located  in  this  dis- 
trict says:  'The  sports  think  nothing  of  a  "fiver." 
They  don't  care  what  you  charge  them,  and  they 
never  ask  for  change.'  He  explained  that  he  often 
charged  a  dollar  for  a  twenty-five-cent  message." 


i6o  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Child-Saving  Agencies 

Numerous  are  the  agencies  which  have  been  es- 
tablished to  relieve  the  distressful  conditions  among 
the  children  of  the  city.  The  kindergarten  is  one  of 
the  most  important  factors.  There  is  hardly  another 
single  institution  which  is  doing  more  for  the  child. 
In  training  heart,  head,  and  hand  at  the  most  critical 
period  in  its  life,  it  gives  the  child  a  start  which  is 
most  valuable. 

The  Day  Nursery,  by  caring  for  the  younger  chil- 
dren, while  the  mother  goes  out  to  work,  renders  an 
Beneficent  important  service.  Fresh  Air  Charities 
charities.  bring  untold  relief.     The  week  or  ten 

days  in  the  country  or  by  the  seaside  bring  cheer,  and 
sometimes  save  life  itself. 

The  Juvenile  Court,  by  taking  the  child  away 
from  the  association  with  the  hardened  criminal,  and 
putting  him  upon  his  honor,  surrounding  him  with 
such  influences  as  will  have  a  tendency  to  bring  out 
the  better  side  of  his  nature,  is  bringing  about  a  revo- 
lution in  our  dealings  with  the  wayward  boy  and 
girl.  Such  organizations  as  the  George  Junior  Re- 
public in  Freeville,  'N.  Y.,  which  deals  largely 
with  the  kind  of  boy  and  girl  that  is  found  in  the 
Juvenile  Court,  and  in  very  much  the  same  way,  are 
showing  us  better  things. 

To  the  principals  and  teachers  of  the  Public  School 
Educational  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude,  because  of 
enterprises.  their  conscientious  work  in  behalf  of 
the  city  children  who  need  their  helpful  influence. 


The  Children  of  the  City  i6i 

The  Boys'  Club  renders  an  important  service  in 
this  connection.  As  Jacob  Riis  once  said :  "It  is  by 
the  Boys'  Club  that  the  street  is  hardest  hit.  In 
the  fight  for  the  lad  it  is  that  which  knocks  out  the 
'gang,'  and  with  its  own  weapon — the  weapon  of 
organization." 

'Not  should  one  forget  the  work  of  the  Boys'  De- 
partment of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
The  up-to-date  Sunday  School  is  of  ser-  Beligious 
vice.  "But  it  is  not  so  much  the  organiza-  organizations, 
tion  itself,  nor  its  exercises,  but  the  personal  influ- 
ence of  the  teacher  that  counts  for  most. 

Numerous  other  organizations  for  children  in  the 
Church  are  helping. 

The  trades-union  is  doing  its  part  in  relieving  the 
suffering  of  child-life.  The  l^ational  Consumers' 
League,  through  its  constant  agitation  in  Agitation  and 
behalf  of  favorable  sanitary  conditions,  legislation. 
helps,  and  should  be  supported  by  every  man  and 
woman  who  believes  in  a  square  deal  for  the  child. 
Few  are  doing  more  than  the  N'ational  Child  Labor 
Committee,  through  its  publications,  its  lectures,  and 
its  constant  watch  on  legislation  with  reference  to 
child  labor.  This  also  applies  to  the  Child  Labor 
Committees  of  the  States,  which  are  springing  up  to 
do  valiant  service  for  the  children. 

The  government  is  taking  hold  in  its  State  Legisla- 
tures, but  especially  in  the  action  of  Congress  by  the 
appropriation  of  a  special  fund  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
vestigating the  actual  conditions  of  the  children  in 


1 62  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

factories,  mines,  and  mills,  thus  forming  the  basis  of 
intelligent  legislation. 

Others  there  are  who,  in  various  ways,  are  minis- 
tering to  the  city's  children,  in  classes  which  teach 
Value  of  them  how  to  make  the  most  of  life,  in 
friendship.  societies  which  present  the  value  of  team- 
work and  co-operation,  but  principally  in  friendships, 
which  impart  the  very  best  that  one  can  find  in 
human  life  and  experience.  For  it  is  this,  after  all, 
which  means  most  to  the  city  child. 


vn 

THE  rN"STITUTIO:srAL  CHURCH 

Changing  Social  Conditions 

The  most  superficial  study  of  religious  work  re- 
veals the  fact  that  in  almost  every  large  city  most  of 
the  great  church  "missions"  which  were  once  so  suc- 
cessful have  either  gone  out  of  existence  altogether,  or 
else  they  are  being  conducted  upon  a  much  smaller 
scale  than  formerly.  There  is  scarcely  a  church  mis- 
sion in  the  United  States  but  what  is  making  a  strug- 
gle for  its  existence — at  least  in  comparison  with  its 
former  glory. 

There  are  several  reasons  for  this  decline.  While 
there  is  still  a  great  deal  of  poverty  in  the  city,  that 
poverty  is  not  so  hopeless  as  it  once  was.  PoTertyuot 
The  actual  poverty  may  be  as  great,  and  l^opeless' 
there  may  be  even  more  of  it,  but  there  has  come  to 
the  masses  a  hope  for  better  things,  sometimes 
through  the  labor  and  the  Socialistic  press  and  their 
general  literature,  as  well  as  through  the  daily 
papers,  which  are  read  by  even  the  poorest.  The 
common  people  have  had  a  vision  of  the  coming 
democracy.  Any  one  who  has  known  the  East  Side 
of  'New  York  for  a  score  of  years — and  the  same 
thing  is  true  of  most  other  large  cities — knows  of  the 
change  that  has  come  over  the  people  in  this  respect. 

163 


164  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

There  are  still  dull,  plodding,  impenetrating  indi- 
viduals, but  no  one  can  question  the  statement  that 
in  recent  years  there  has  been  a  great  civic  awak- 
ening among  the  common  people. 

Another  reason  for  the  change  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  foreigner  has  come  in  to  displace  those  who  were 
once  sympathetic  toward  the  mission.  But,  strange 
to  say,  it  is  this  very  foreigner  who  has  helped  so 
largely  to  introduce  the  civic  pride  which  has  taken 
hold  of  the  people.  The  political  campaign  clubs 
organized  by  the  young  Russian  Jews,  for  instance, 
put  to  shame  the  indifference  of  many  a  citizen  who 
was  "freeborn." 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  city  mission  work  has 
failed  because  of  the  introduction  of  the  social  settle- 
ment, and  many  city  mission  workers  have  become 
bitter  against  these  institutions  because  of  their  ap- 
parent rivalry,  forgetting  that  in  but  few  instances 
have  they  been  guilty  of  proselyting.  Their  field 
of  operation  has,  in  most  cases,  been  one  which  was 
altogether  untouched  by  the  mission.  Frequently 
they  have  come  into  fields  which  had  been  deserted 
by  the  churches,  from  which  the  churches  were  com- 
pelled to  flee  in  order  to  "save"  their  lives. 

Generally,  it  is  intimated  that  the  mission  has 
failed  because  the  people  have  become  indifferent, 
Reasons  for  and  that  they  do  not  care  for  the  "old 
indifference.  Gospel."  But  what  seems  to  be  the  cause 
is  simply  the  effect.  To  say  that  many  of  the  peo- 
ple have  become  indifferent  is  quite  true.     But  why 


The  Institutional  Church  165 

have  they  become  indifferent  ?  There  are,  of  course, 
numerous  reasons  for  this  indifference,  but  in  most 
cases  it  is  due  not  so  much  to  the  people  as  it  is  to 
the  mission  itself.  In  the  causes  which  have  just 
been  given,  it  will  be  agreed  that  every  factor,  in 
itself,  is  an  encouraging  one.  Who  does  not  rejoice 
that  poverty  is  less  distressing,  that  the  immigrant 
is  being  aroused  to  a  sense  of  citizenship,  that  the 
settlement  wields  a  helpful  influence  in  forsaken 
fields  ?  But  to  what  extent  has  the  mission  met  its 
obligation  in  these  particulars  ? 

True,  it  has  helped  many,  individually,  to  better 
things.  But  how  often  has  it  inspired  the  great 
masses  so  that  they  have  taken  on  fresh        „.  . 

•^  ^  Mission  not 

courage  in  times  of  social  and  economic  always  effect- 
distress?  Why  has  it  left  this  almost 
exclusively  to  the  despised  ag-itator?  How  far 
has  the  mission  helped  the  immigrant  to  understand 
his  true  relationship  to  his  adopted  country?  How 
far  has  the  average  mission  gone  in  actually  bringing 
about  changed  physical  conditions  in  the  community, 
by  going  directly  to  the  officials  of  the  municipality 
in  behalf  of  those  who  needed  a  spokesman  ?  Here 
and  there  an  individual,  overworked  pastor  has  at- 
tempted it,  but  in  comparison  with  the  work  of  the 
social  settlement,  the  mission's  influence  has  been 
small  indeed. 

But,  somebody  will  say :  "The  mission  has  nothing 
to  do  with  civic  righteousness  and  the  political  edu- 
cation of  the  immigrant."     And  that  is  precisely  the 


1 66  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

reason  why  the  people  in  the  conmiunity  have  gone 
over  to  these  other  organizations,  because  a  man's 
physical  wants  are  always  more  apparent  than  his 
spiritual  needs.  And  this  accounts,  in  a  measure, 
for  the  failure  of  the  mission.  As  the  social  con- 
ditions of  the  people  changed,  the  mission  failed  to 
adjust  itself  to  these  changing  conditions.  As  new 
needs  arose,  the  mission  went  on,  blind  to  its  oppor- 
tunities, with  the  result  that  other  forces  took  its 
place  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  It  lost  its  spiritual 
grip,  because  it  failed  to  enlarge  its  own  life  and 
vision,  by  taking  on  the  life  of  its  constituency.  Thus 
it  has  happened  that  some  of  the  very  things  which 
should  have  strengthened  religious  work  in  the  com- 
munity have  helped  to  break  it  down. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  growing 

spirit  of  democracy  among  the  people.     This  also 

accounts  for  the  failure  of  the  mission. 

organized  The  people  demand  democratic  organiza- 

Booiaiized  tions,  in  which  they  themselves  have  a 

Cnnich  needed.  '    .  '' 

part  in  the  management.  What  is 
needed,  therefore,  is  a  regularly  organized  Church, 
which  ministers  to  all  the  needs  of  the  people  living 
in  the  community.  Such  a  Church,  properly  organ- 
ized and  aggressively  conducted,  with  an  evangelistic 
basis,  is  sure  to  win  the  people. 

Pressing  Social  Needs 

The  author  of  "The  Long  Day,"  writing  out  of  an 
experience  among  working-women,  in  relation  to  pro- 


The  Institutional  Church  167 

posed  remedies  for  the  evils  by  which  they  are  sur- 
rounded, says: 

"The  .  .  .  need  is  for  a  greater  interest  in  the 
workwoman's  welfare  on  the  part  of  the  Church,  and 
an  effort  by  that  all-powerful  institution  . 
to  bring  about  some  adjustment  of  her  "The  Long 
social  and  economic  difficulties.  I  am  *^  ^'^^ 
old-fashioned  enough  to  believe  in  the  supreme  effi- 
cacy of  organized  religion  in  relation  to  womanhood 
and  all  that  pertains  to  womanhood.  I  believe  that, 
in  our  present  state  of  social  development,  the 
Church  can  do  more  for  the  working-girl  than  any  of 
the  proposed  measures  based  upon  economic  sciences 
or  the  purely  ethical  theory.  Working-women,  as  a 
class,  are  certainly  not  ripe  for  the  trades-union,  and 
the  earnest  people  of  the  'settlements'  are  able  to 
reach  but  a  small  part  of  the  great  army  of  women 
marching  hopelessly  on,  ungeneralled,  untrained, 
and,  worst  of  all,  uncaring. 

"But  a  live  and  progressive  church — a  church  im- 
bued with  the  Christian  spirit  in  the  broadest  and 
most  liberal  interpretation  of  the  term — can  do  for 
us,  and  do  it  quickly  and  at  once,  more  than  all  the 
college-settlements  and  the  trades-unions  that  can  be 
organized  within  the  next  ten  years  could  hope  to  do. 
And  for  this  reason :  The  Church  has  all  the  machin- 
ery ready,  set  up  and  waiting  only  for  the  proper 
hand  to  put  it  in  motion  to  this  great  end.  The 
Christian  Church  has  a  vast  responsibility  in  the 
solution  of  all  problems  of  the  social  order,  and  none 


1 68  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

of  those  problems  is  more  grave  or  urgent  than  the 
one  affecting  the  economic  condition  of  the  wage- 
earning  woman. 

"In  the  days  when  I  could  see  no  silver  lining  to 
the  clouds,  I  tried  going  to  a  Protestant  church,  but  I 
...  recognized  very  shortly  the  alienation  be- 

Bonal  eiperi-  tween  it  and  me.  Personally,  I  do  not 
like  to  attend  Salvation  meetings  or 
listen  to  the  mission  evangelists.  So  I  ceased  any 
pretension  of  going  to  church,  thus  allying  myself 
with  that  great  aggregation  of  non-church-going  Prot- 
estant working-women  who  have  been  forced  into  a 
resentful  attitude  against  that  which  we  should  love 
and  support.  It  is  encouraging,  however,  to  find 
that  the  Church  itself  has,  at  last,  begun  to  heed  our 
growing  disaffection  and  alienation." 

Some  excellent  people  are  insisting  that  the 
Church  has  but  one  mission — to  preach  the  "simple" 
Gospel,  whatever  that  may  mean.  They  are  saying 
that  when  a  man  becomes  a  Christian,  all  of  these 
things  take  care  of  themselves.  Indeed,  they  say,  he 
will  find  so  much  joy  in  the  Christian  life  that  the  de- 
mands of  the  social  and  the  physical  will  no  longer 
have  any  control  over  him.  Undoubtedly,  this  is  true, 
in  many  cases,  but  we  are  dealing  with  the  average 
man,  who  has  not  the  resources  within  himself  that 
some  other  people  have.  There  are  pulseless,  nerveless, 
bloodless  individuals  who  simply  cannot  comprehend 
the  struggles  of  the  man  who  is  like  a  throbbing  hu- 
man engine,  fired  with  a  rush  of  thought  that  arouses 


The  Institutional  Church  169 

the  deepest  passions.  There  are  men  and  women 
who,  from  their  earliest  childhood,  have  been  raised 
in  an  environment  from  which  was  shut  out  every- 
thing that  was  coarse  and  brutal  and  vicious,  but 
there  are  others  who  knew  practically  nothing  else 
from  the  moment  that  they  were  cursed  into  the  world. 
Over  these  needy  ones  the  Church  must  ever  have 
watchful  care,  ministering  first  of  all  and  principally 
to  their  spiritual  needs,  but  never  forgetting  that 
they  have  bodies,  which  sometimes  so  strongly  assert 
themselves  that  spiritual  truth  makes  almost  no  im- 
pression upon  them. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  IsTew  York  and  Chi- 
cago have  a  monopoly  of  the  tenement  houses  which 
present  conditions  that  demand  the  social  ministry  of 
the  Church.  The  pastor  of  a  Minneapolis  church 
found  within  a  block  of  his  church  a  nine-room  house 
with  a  family  in  every  room.  In  St.  Louis  four 
Syrian  workingmen,  three  of  whom  were  married, 
and  having  six  children  between  them,  were  occupy- 
ing two  rooms. 

Sometimes  the  tenements  in  the  smaller  cities  are 
in  a  worse  sanitary  condition,  having  no  more  sun- 
light and  as  much  filth,  as  the  frequently      _,  , 
described  tenements  in  New  York  City,    smaller  cities 
Recently  it  was  reported  that  the  social    ^^*^  ^^' 
conditions  in  some  sections  of  the  city  of  Washington 
were  worse  than  they  are  in  New  York. 

A  St.  Louis  pastor  thus  describes  the  community 
in  which  his  church  is  situated* 


lyo  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

"I  have  in  mind  a  typical  tenement.  There  are 
thousands  so  nearly  like  it — almost  anywhere  within 
two  miles  north  or  south  of  Market  Street,  and 
within  ten  squares  from  the  river — ^that  it  is  unnec- 
essary to  specify  the  location  of  this  particular  house. 
Four  families  occupy  the  front  building,  and  four 
live  in  the  rear.  Thus  the  children  of  eight  families 
must  use  the  dirt  or  brick-paved  court  between  the 
houses,  or  go  on  the  streets.  There  is  not  much 
space  for  them  when  the  coal  sheds  and  other  out- 
buildings are  provided.  Sometimes  a  third  tene- 
ment is  crowded  to  one  side  of  the  court,  between 
front  and  rear  buildings. 

"The  entrance  to  the  court  is  through  a  narrow, 
brick-paved  gangway,  which,  tunnel-like,  pierces  the 
walls  of  the  front  tenement.  All  families  in  the 
houses  use  this  gangway,  as  they  must  enter  their 
homes  by  the  stairways  from  the  yard,  or  by  the  doors 
under  these  stairways. 

"The  visitor  enters  by  the  kitchen,  for  this  is,  nec- 
essarily, the  front  room.  It  is  not  much  larger  than 
Gloomy  a  fair-sized  bathroom,  being  little  more 

homes.  thsLB.  twice  the  width  of  its  one  window. 

The  next  room  is  lighted  from  the  kitchen,  and  from 
the  single  window  in  the  blackness  under  the  stair- 
way. On  a  light  day  this  room  is  gloomy,  to  say  the 
least  Frequently  a  visitor  has  difficulty  in  distin- 
guishing the  features  of  a  sick  person  in  this  room. 
The  third  room  is  the  front  room — it  fronts  on  the 
narrow  alley.     Another  tenement  is  almost  within 


The  Institutional  Church  171 

reach  of  the  windows ;  or,  perhaps,  there  is  a  stable 
across  the  way.  "When  the  rent-collector  calls,  he 
secures  from  eight  to  eleven  or  twelve  dollars  a  month 
for  the  three  rooms. 

"The  vacation  problem  is  easily  solved  by  the 
dwellers  in  the  tenements.  Few  of  them  have  any 
vacation.  'I  have  had  one  day  off  in  five  years,  and 
I'd  like  to  go  so  much,'  said  one  factory-worker,  a 
woman  sixty  years  old.  'But  I  am  not  as  young  as  I 
once  was.  And  I  dare  not  go  for  even  a  week.  When 
I  come  back  they'd  be  sure  to  have  some  younger 
person  in  my  place.  Then  what  would  we  do  at 
home? 

"One  day  a  visitor  to  one  of  the  homes  was  urged 
by  four  boys:  'Come  and  see  our  clubroom.'  Glee- 
fully they  took  him  to  a  rough  shed,  thrown  together 
of  waste  timbers  picked  up  on  the  street.  How 
proudly  they  looked  at  their  possessions!  A  few 
newspaper  pictures  on  the  walls.  A  game  of 
checkers  on  a  chair.  A  baseball  bat  in  one  comer. 
But  the  crowning  feature  was  a  placard  which  one  of 
the  boys  had  laboriously  fashioned : 

1^0  SMOKi:NrG    NO  SWEAKING 
NO  CANNING  BEEK  HERE 

"  'We  don't  want  none  of  that,  'cause  we  see  enough 
of  it,  and  what  it  means,'  the  maker  of  the  notice  ex- 
plained, as  he  observed  the  direction  of  the  visitor's 
gaze." 


172  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Demanding  Social  Leaders 

How  shall  these  conditions  be  met?  And  who 
shall  lead  in  this  important  work?  During  recent 
The  social  jears  we  have  been  hearing  much  about 
spirit.  lY^Q  "social  spirit."     But  comparatively 

few  in  our  churches  seem  to  understand  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  phrase.  It  possesses  a  far  wider  mean- 
ing than  most  of  us  think.  The  Church  has  been 
so  exclusively  engaged  in  its  work  for  the  individual, 
that  it  has  had  little  inclination  to  grapple  with  the 
questions  that  concern  the  masses  of  the  people  aside 
from  their  purely  so-called  religious  interests. 

The  young  men  in  our  theological  seminaries  have 
been  trained  to  look  upon  their  future  work  as  hav- 
Theolo  ioal  ^°^  ^^  ^^  simply  with  the  preparation  of 
seminary  sermons,  pastoral  calling,  and  the  per- 

formance of  the  functions  which  thus  far 
have  belonged  peculiarly  to  the  minister.  Their 
studies,  while  in  the  seminary,  have  been  confined 
almost  exclusively  to  theology,  the  dead  languages, 
the  sacraments.  Church  history,  and  homiletics. 
Practically  the  only  touch  with  the  throbbing  life  of 
the  world  outside  the  seminary  walls  has  been  the 
teaching  of  a  mission  Sunday  School  class,  the  lead- 
ing of  a  prayer  meeting,  or  the  holding  of  a  service 
in  a  country  schoolhouse. 

It  is  immensely  gratifying  that  a  few  of  our  semi- 
naries are  realizing  the  inadequacy  of  their  courses 
of  study  to  meet  present-day  social  needs,  and  are  in- 
troducing features  which  must  result  in  a  type  of 


The  Institutional  Church  173 

leaders  who  shall  have  more  of  the  social  spirit  than 
is  often  found  among  the  ministers  of  a  past  genera- 
tion. 

But  the  theological  seminary  is  not  altogether  to 
blame  in  this  matter.  It  cannot  always  secure  the 
kind  of  men  who  will  naturally  become  leaders  of 
the  type  needed.  It  must  do  the  best  it  can  with  the 
material  it  has  to  work  with. 

Frequently  we  are  told  that  the  country  supplies 
the  Church  with  practically  all  her  ministers.  There 
is  no  doubt  as  to  the  truthfulness  of  this  statement. 
Among  a  hundred  preachers  in  a  particular  confer- 
ence, most  of  whom  had  city  charges,  it  was  discov- 
ered that  only  two  were  born  and  Teared  in  the  city. 
All  praise  to  the  country  for  its  contribution  to  the 
religious  life  of  the  city.  But  the  fact  presented 
partially  accounts  for  a  condition  to  which  the 
Church  is  already  giving  her  serious  attention,  viz., 
that  the  average  city  church  falls  woefully  short  in  its 
work  among  the  city's  masses. 

Most  of  our  city  churches,  even  among  the  larger 
ones,  are  trying  to  meet  town  conditions  by  an  elab- 
orated country  church  programme.  Some- 

,       .       ,         .    .  .-,■.  Elaborated 

times  an  enthusiastic  minister  will  try  to  country  churoli 
galvanize  his  church  into  an  appearance  Programme  for 
of  city  efficiency,  but  the  best  results  do 
not  come  that  way.  They  come  because  of  a  con- 
sistently carried-out  programme  based  upon  an  intel- 
ligent conception  of  actual  conditions.  Many  fine 
young  ministers  who  come  to  our  cities,  finally  sue- 


174  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ceed  in  a  very  diflScult  task,  "but  most  of  them  drift 
into  the  ways  of  their  predecessors,  ministering  to  a 
constituency  of  long-time  church  attendants,  a  large 
percentage  of  whom  have  also  come  from  the  country, 
and  to  whom  the  spirit  and  the  method  are  perfectly 
acceptahle. 

Frankly,  how  can  a  young  man  who  knows  prac- 
tically nothing  of  city  thought  and  life — the  thought 
and  life  of  the  man  outside  the  Church — because  he 
has  been  raised  in  a  country  atmosphere,  take  his 
college  and  seminary  course,  where  he  certainly  does 
not  catch  the  spirit  of  the  city,  and  then,  at  twenty- 
five,  make  a  success  of  a  city  church,  which  is  situ- 
ated in  the  midst  of  a  people  whose  mode  of  life  is  a 
deep  and  profound  mystery  to  the  young  theologue  ? 
Some  are  doing  it,  but  this  success  is  due  to  unusual 
ability,  which  would  manifest  itself  in  any  other 
occupation. 

Sometimes  it  is  pathetic  to  see  a  highly  finished 
product  of  the  schools  almost  broken-hearted  in  a  city 
field,  simply  because  he  has  failed  to  get  a  vision  of 
the  real  needs  of  the  people  for  whom  he  would  fain 
give  his  very  life.  One  such  actually  resigned  his 
city  mission  charge,  because  he  was  overwhelmed  by 
the  great  numbers  of  people  by  whom  his  church  was 
surrounded,  and  to  which  his  country  training  had 
made  him  peculiarly  sensitive.  And  yet,  here  was 
a  condition  which  should  have  stirred  him  to  his  very 
depths,  as  he  saw  the  possibilities  in  that  great  mass, 
and  sent  him  out  to  courageously  grapple  with  the 


The  Institutional  Church  175 

vital  problems  of  his  community.  But  he  was  ab- 
solutely helpless  because  he  could  not  get  the  proper 
conception  of  his  task.  People  who  naturally  drift 
into  our  city  churches  need  the  ministration  which 
the  average  church  can  give  through  its  pastor ;  but 
here  are  millions  who  are  being  deliberately  deserted 
— simply — and  it  is  said  advisedly — ^because  we 
haven't  enough  of  the  right  kind  of  men  in  the 
ministry. 

The  city  offers  the  Church  a  magnificent  field  for 
the  best  talent  that  any  city  man  ever  put  into  busi- 
ness or   philanthropic  life.     But  it  will     _,,      , , 

■^    ^  ^  ^  City  proDlemB 

require  a  city  programme,  put  into  oper-  demand  city 
ation  by  a  city  man,  who  understands 
the  city  Zeitgeist.  The  overheard  conversation  of 
business  men  on  the  trains  indicates  it.  The  senti- 
ments expressed  by  workingmen  in  the  shop  proves 
it.  The  attitude  of  the  people  in  the  slums  veri- 
fies it. 

The  city  has  no  right  to  expect  country  men  to 
solve  its  church  problems — social,  philanthropic,  re- 
ligious. The  splendid  ability  found  in  the  city 
church  must  be  consecrated  to  the  task  of  working  out 
the  salvation  of  the  city's  life.  This  task  clearly 
rests  upon  the  layman. 

More  and  more  is  this  becoming  the  layman's  day. 
The   multiplication    of    "Brotherhoods"    and   men's 
clubs,  the  fine  response  by  business  men         The  day  of 
to  definite  service  rightly  presented,  the       the  layman. 
high  ideals  which  have  come  from  the  laymen  them- 


176  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

selves,  and  the  growing  disposition  to  become  jealous 
of  what  they  consider  their  rightful  place  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  affairs  of  the  Church,  all  give 
promise  of  better  things  to  come. 

Defining  Social  Service 

The  spirit  and  the  aim  of  the  institutional  church 
is  expressed  in  the  platform  of  the  Open  and  Insti- 
tutional Church  League — "Inasmuch  as  the  Christ 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  the 
open  and  institutional  church,  filled  and  moved  by 
His  spirit  of  ministering  love,  seeks  to  become  the 
centre  and  source  of  all  beneficent  and  philanthropic 
effort,  and  to  take  the  leading  part  in  every  move- 
ment which  has  for  its  end  the  alleviation  of  human 
suffering,  the  elevation  of  man,  and  the  betterment 
of  the  world. 

"Thus  the  open  and  institutional  church  aims  to 

save  all  men  and  all  of  the  man  by  all  means,  abolish- 

-       ,,  ing,  so  far  as  possible,  the  distinction  be- 

o£LT6  &1X  II16I1| 

all  of  man,  tween  the  religious  and  secular,  and  sanc- 
j  means,  ^ifying  all  days  and  all  means  to  the  great 
end  of  saving  the  world  for  Christ." 

Josiah  Strong,  in  his  "Religious  Movements  for 
Social  Betterment,"  points  out  its  distinguishing 
characteristic  in  these  words: 

"The  Church  and  the  home  are  the  two  great  sav- 
ing institutions  of  society.  When  the  home  is  what 
it  ought  to  be,  it  affords  such  an  environment  as 
makes  possible  a  normal  development  of  body  and 


The  Institutional  Church  177 

soul.  When  it  is  pretty  much  all  that  it  ought  not  to 
be,  and  is  corrupting  to  both  soul  and  body,  the  ap- 
peals of  the  Church  to  the  spiritual  life  are  to  little 
or  no  purpose.  Hence,  as  the  tenement  house  has 
been  substituted  for  the  comfortable  home,  the 
churches  working  on  the  old  lines  have  either  died  or 
have  followed  the  well-to-do  class  uptown. 

"The  institutional  church,  however,  succeeds  be- 
cause it  adapts  itself  to  changed  conditions.  It  finds 
that  the  people  living  around  it  have  in  their  homes 
no  opportunity  to  take  a  bath ;  it  therefore  furnishes 
bathing  facilities.  It  sees  that  the  people  have  little 
or  no  healthful  social  life;  it  accordingly  opens  at- 
tractive social  rooms,  and  organizes  clubs  for  men, 
women,  boys,  and  girls.  The  people  know  little  of 
legitimate  amusement;  the  Church,  therefore,  pro- 
vides it.  They  are  ignorant  of  household  economy; 
the  Church  establishes  its  cooking-schools,  its  sewing- 
schools,  and  the  like.  In  their  homes  the  people 
have  few  books  and  papers ;  in  the  Church  they  find 
a  free  reading-room  and  library. 

"The  homes  afford  no  opportunity  for  intellectual 
cultivation;  the  Church  opens  evening  schools  and 
provides  lecture  courses.     As  in  the  hu-       „  ,     . 

^  _        ^  PerfoTming 

man  organism,  when  one  organ  fails,  its  fanotioaofthe 
functions  are  often  performed  by  some 
other  organ;  so  in  the  great  social  organism  of  the 
city,  when  the  home  fails,  the  Church  sometimes 
undertakes  the  functions  of  the  home.  Such  a 
church  we  call  'Institutional.'  " 


1 78  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

Typifying  Social  Activity 

Probably  no  church  in  the  entire  world  is  doing  a 
greater  work  on  social  lines  than  that  being  done  by 
St.  Bartholomew's  Protestant  Episcopal 
mew's  Protes-  Church  in  New  York  City.  Over  two 
tent  Episcopal  hundred  meetings,  of  various  kinds,  are 
held  weekly.  There  are  2,952  commu- 
nicants in  the  parish.  The  Sunday  Schools  have  a 
membership  of  1,610. 

If  one  includes  choir  members,  clerks,  porters, 
cleaners,  teachers,  engineers,  etc.,  there  are  249  sal- 
aried workers.  Including  members  of  boards,  offi- 
cers of  societies,  teachers,  ushers,  physicians,  choir 
members,  and  those  who  are  working  members  in 
clubs  and  societies,  there  are  896  volunteer  workers. 

Sunday  services  are  held  in  the  Parish  House  for 
Germans,  Armenians,  and  Chinese,  and  there  are 
regular  services  in  the  Swedish  Chapel.  Each  of 
these  nationalities  has  a  surpliced  choir  which 
renders  music  in  its  own  language.  Many  of  these 
foreigners  have  been  greatly  interested  in  teaching 
their  fellow-countrymen  lessons  in  American  patriot- 
ism. 

The  church  supports  one  of  the  best  equipped  dis- 
pensaries in  the  city.  Fifty-four  physicians  volun- 
Hospiteland  teer  their  services.  Last  year  15,227 
loan  association,  j^g^  patients  Were  treated,  the  total  num- 
ber of  consultations  having  been  50,452.  The  total 
number  of  prescriptions  written  was  23,090,  of 
which  22,527  were  paid  for.     The  Loan  Associatiojj; 


The  Institutional  Church  179 

which  is  conducted  upon  a  business  basis,  received 
during  the  year  $101,517.59,  and  disbursed  $91,345. 
Loans  are  made  to  the  poor  at  a  reasonable  rate  of 
interest,  the  department  being  so  managed  as  to  make 
it  self-supporting. 

On  top  of  the  nine-storied  building  in  which  are 
hived  the  many  enterprises  of  the  parish,  is  a  beau- 
tiful roof  garden.  The  children  plant  flowers  in 
long  boxes  and  tubs,  and  here  the  kindergarten 
holds  many  of  its  sessions.  In  the  evening  the 
various  societies  of  the  parish  have  their  meetings 
on  the  roof,  and  on  Sundays  religious  services  are 
held. 

Club  life  is  prominent.  There  are  clubs  for  men 
and  women,  boys  and  girls,  with  a  total  membership 
of  2,796.  Membership  in  the  Girls'  oinbs  and 
Evening  Club  entitles  the  holder  to  the  «'"'^g  °^»««««' 
use  of  the  clubrooms  and  library ;  access  to  the  large 
hall  every  evening  after  nine  o'clock,  to  the  physical- 
culture  classes,  lectures,  talks,  entertainments,  dis- 
cussion class,  glee  club,  literature  class,  English  com- 
position class,  the  Helping  Hand  Society,  Penny 
Provident  and  Mutual  Benefit  Funds;  the  privilege 
of  joining  one  class  a  week  in  either  dressmaking, 
millinery,  embroidery,  drawn-work,  system  sewing 
or  cooking ;  also,  by  paying  a  small  fee,  the  privilege 
of  entering  a  class  in  stenography,  typewriting, 
Erench,  or  bookkeeping.  Corresponding  advantages 
attend  membership  in  the  other  clubs. 

For  those  seeking  work  and  for  those  desiring 


i8o  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

workers,  an  efficient  employment  bureau  is  con- 
ducted. During  the  past  year  2,531  situations  were 
filled.  The  kindergarten  enrolled  259  children,  the 
Industrial  School,  336.  The  Fresh  Air  work  of  the 
parish  gave  outings  to  thousands  of  mothers  and  their 
children.  Garments  were  provided  for  the  poor, 
such  as  were  able  paying  a  small  amount  for  them. 
The  Penny  Provident  Fund  received  $31,483.29 
from  5,196  depositors. 

The  amount  expended  by  the  Church  on  the  Par- 
ish House,  during  the  year,  was  $91,043.99,  and  the 
total  amount  given  for  home  expenditures  and  for 
benevolent  contributions  was  $219,641.19.  The 
splendid  work  of  St.  Bartholomew's  shows  what  can 
be  done  when  occurs  the  rare  combination  of  a  big 
brain,  a  big  heart,  and  a  big  treasury. 

Few  churches  that  desire  to  engage  in  institutional 
work  have  so  large  a  fund  to  draw  upon.  Fortu- 
Oneimiidred  natcly.  One  may  do  things  without  very 
dollars  a  year.  xhuqIx  money.  It  is  quite  possible  to  con- 
duct an  institutional  church  on  one  hundred  dollars  a 
year  aside  from  the  expense  of  carrying  on  the  work 
of  an  ordinary  church. 

It  can  be  done,  because  it  has  been  done.  After 
the  demonstration  had  been  made  in  one  instance, 
there  was  no  difficulty  in  getting  the  money  needed. 
It  is  a  good  policy  never  to  ask  a  man  for  money 
simply  on  the  argument  that  a  certain  kind  of  work 
could  be  done  with  a  large  amount  of  money.  A 
better  way  is  to  prove  with  the  means  at  hand  that 


The  Institutional  Church  i8i 

the  work  can  be  done,  and  that  you  are  the  man  to 

do  it- 
Ministering  to  the  needs  of  the  community  in 
which  it  is  situated — that  is  the  principle  upon 
which  the  institutional  church  is  oper-  zindofwork 
ated.  By  this  is  meant  the  needs  not  needed, 
supplied  by  some  other  helpful  agency.  For  in- 
stance, a  gymnasium  conducted  by  German  infidels 
is  not  such  an  agency.  A  church  conducted  for  the 
benefit  of  the  well-to-do  need  not  operate  a  free  dis- 
pensary, whatever  else  it  may  attempt  along  insti- 
tutional lines.  We  are  more  directly  concerned  with 
the  church  that  is  trying  to  reach  and  help  the  work- 
ingman  and  his  family. 

With  a  building  that  is  lighted  and  heated — per- 
haps with  only  two  rooms — one  is  ready  for  the  work 
as  outlined  below.  Few  things  are  more  popular 
than  an  illustrated  lecture  course.  An  admission 
fee  of  five  cents  pays  all  expenses.  In  most  instances 
one  may  secure  the  lecturers  in  one's  high  school  or 
college,  and  sometimes  a  preacher  or  business  man 
in  the  neighborhood  has  a  lecture  on  his  travels,  or 
on  some  other  interesting  subject.  Always  remem- 
ber that  it  is  the  personal  element  that  makes  the 
lecture  of  interest  to  the  people,  so  if  a  man  can  tell 
the  story  of  his  own  experience,  even  in  a  very  ordi- 
nary way,  he  may  hold  his  audience  better  than  some 
others  who  may  have  had  some  supposed  advantages 
over  him.  Most  of  the  lecturers  will  give  their  serv- 
ices gratuitously,  and  will  be  glad  of  the  opportunity 


1 82  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

to  be  used  when  they  can  speak  to  an  appreciative 
audience.  If  enough  volunteers  cannot  be  secured, 
one  may  do  the  lecturing  himself.  Slides  and  read- 
ings on  many  subjects  may  be  obtained  from  supply 
houses  in  any  large  city.  One  can  study  the  reading 
80  that  he  need  not  depend  upon  it  altogether  when 
lecturing. 

A  song  service  may  be  held  before  each  lecture,  the 
hymns  being  thrown  on  the  canvas.  An  occasional 
moving  picture  entertainment  is  a  good  thing  when 
only  the  best  class  of  pictures  are  shown.  It  is  best 
to  examine  them  one's  self,  because  the  average 
operator  has  not  a  very  keen  sense  of  what  is  appro- 
priate for  a  church. 

Ushers    and    other    workers    should    understand 

fully  just  what  is  expected  of  them.     It  is  always 

^      ,.  best  to  fix  the  responsibility  for  every  de- 

Depending  _  _  ^  ^  '' 

npon  Toinn-  tail.  This  applies  not  only  to  the  lecture 
course,  but  to  every  other  department. 
Much  must  be  entrusted  to  others,  because  it  is  a 
physical  impossibility  to  do  everything  one's  self. 
As  soon  as  a  new  department  is  organized  get  some- 
body to  take  hold  of  it.  Do  not  wait  to  find  the  ideal 
person.  Sometimes  a  very  ordinary  worker  will  de- 
velop into  a  magnificent  helper,  simply  because  of 
his  faithfulness,  and  that  is  the  chief  talent. 

Sometimes  when  a  church  is  situated  in  a  down- 
town district,  and  there  are  in  the  neighborhood 
many  foreigners  and  others  not  sympathetic  toward 
a  Protestant  church,  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  reach 


The  Institutional  Church  183 

the  children  through  the  Sunday  School.  A  "Chil- 
dren's Hour"  on  a  weekday  afternoon  is  useful.  A 
children's  choir,  recitations  by  the  children,  a  solo — 
anything  that  children  can  do — will  be  appreciated. 
Have  them  sing  hymns — when  you  can.  In  one 
Children's  Hour,  the  children  sang  street  songs  of 
the  best  type.  They  contained  sentiment  that  was 
helpful,  as  many  popular  ballads  do,  and  the  children 
were  delighted.  Sometimes  the  worst  boy  in  the 
neighborhood  would  sing  a  popular  song,  to  the  great 
delight  of  his  audience.  It  did  him  good,  too.  He 
could  not  be  quite  so  rude  after  that.  A  ten-min- 
utes' Gospel  talk  was  always  given  at  some  time  dur- 
ing the  meeting,  and  frequently  a  friend  would  come 
and  sing  or  recite.  Soon  there  were  twice  as  many 
children  in  this  service  as  in  the  Sunday  School,  and 
they  were  children  who  did  not  ordinarily  attend  the 
school. 

A  fine  concert  course  can  be  arranged,  weekly, 
with  singers  from  the  quartette  choirs  of  the  city,  or 
from  some  conservatory  of  music,  where  a  oonoert 

there  are  always  good  voices  looking  for  ooxaae, 
practice.  An  offer  to  send  a  carriage  to  their  homes 
and  to  see  them  safely  back  is  usually  all  that  is 
needed  to  secure  their  services — excepting  some  tact 
in  telling  them  what  one  is  trying  to  do  in  a  musical 
way  for  the  neighborhood,  in  order  to  win  their  sym- 
pathetic interest.  Sometimes  one  may  secure  an 
orchestra  in  the  same  way.  Recently  the  pastor  in  a 
"Western  city  secured  the  best  orchestra  in  town  and 


184  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

gave  a  concert  with  a  ten-cent  admission.  They 
were  charging  75  cents  for  the  same  programme 
every  Sunday  afternoon,  in  a  downtown  theatre, 
and  were  playing  to  an  audience  of  2,000  persons. 
The  musicians'  union,  at  his  request,  permitted  the 
men  to  play  at  a  reduced  rate.  It  may  be  well,  some- 
times, to  alternate  weekly  between  the  concert  and 
the  lecture. 

A  Boys'  Club,  with  a  membership  of  over  500,  was 
conducted  at  an  expense  of  only  $30  for  each  year. 
This  paid  for  some  cheap  pine  tables  and  some  printed 
matter,  some  games  and  a  closet  in  which  to  keep 
them.  The  rooms  were  open  every  night  except 
Sunday,  and  there  was  an  average  attendance  of  150 
per  evening,  although  at  a  weekly  entertainment 
given  by  outside  friends  there  was  sometimes  an  at- 
tendance of  400  newsboys  and  bootblacks. 

The  editor  of  the  newspaper  sold  by  the  boys  came 

down  to  tell  how  a  newspaper  is  made.     A  college 

,  ^     ^.         professor  talked  on  "Habits."  A  surgeon 

Interesting        ^  _   ° 

everyday  told,  simply,  of  the  progress  of  his  art. 

The  possibilities  along  this  line  are  al- 
most limitless,  and  there  is  comparatively  no  expense. 
Friends  contributed  magazines  and  papers,  and  were 
glad  to  do  so. 

One  may  have  small  groups  of  boys,  led  by  some 
interested  men  and  women  who  have  talent — it  mat- 
ters little  what,  so  long  as  it  may  be  made  helpful. 
A  knowledge  of  geology,  astronomy,  wood-carving, 
printing,  music — instrumental  or  vocal — almost  any- 


The  Institutional  Church  185 

thing  that  will  interest  hoys.  And  if  one  has  a  pas- 
sion for  one's  talent,  it  is  a  comparatively  easy  mat- 
ter to  interest  others.  A  city  history  club  will  be 
found  instructive.  Study  the  beginning  of  the  city's 
life,  its  early  landmarks,  its  development,  its  indus- 
tries, the  various  departments  of  municipal  govern- 
ment, the  administration  of  public  utilities,  etc. 
Anything  that  has  to  do  with  the  life  of  the  city  may 
be  investigated  by  such  a  club.  The  most  approved 
plan  is  the  mass  club  for  boys,  with  the  subdivisions 
suggested  above.  A  penny  a  week  from  the  boys  will 
usually  meet  incidental  expenses. 

What  has  been  suggested  for  the  boys  may  be  done 
for  the  girls,  only,  of  course,  there  should  be  other 
employments,  which  will  readily  suggest  themselves. 

A  Penny  Savings  Bank  is  always  a  helpful  enter- 
prise. A  bankbook  is  given  to  each  child  or  grown 
person,  stamps  of  various  denominations  indicating 
the  amounts  deposited.  A  complete  outfit  may  be 
secured  from  the  Penny  Provident  Fund  of  New 
York  City,  without  any  charge  excepting  postage. 
A  few  dollars  originally  invested  will  keep  the  bank 
going  indefinitely.  Almost  every  church  or  mission 
in  the  poorest  districts  of  our  cities  conducts  a  sew- 
ing-school. Its  expense  is  comparatively  small,  and 
it  may  be  made  a  very  valuable  feature  of  church 
work. 

Fifteen  dollars,  invested  at  a  wholesale  drug  store, 
will  establish  a  drug  department  for  a  free  dispen- 
sary.    There  are  physicians  in  every  city  who  will 


1 86  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

gladly  give  their  services  to  such  an  institution,  going 
weekly,  or  oftener,  to  the  dispensary  at  the 
Freedis-  church.  The  physician  will  write  out 
pensary.  g^  jjg^  Qf  ^j^g  drugs  required.     A  charge 

of  ten  cents  for  the  medicine  dispensed  by  the  attend- 
ing physician  will  keep  the  drug  department  always 
well  supplied. 

A  drum  corps  may  be  maintained  by  the  boys  them- 
selves. They  can  manage,  in  most  instances,  to  pay 
an  instructor  a  small  amount,  and  until  they  can 
afford  to  purchase  drums,  a  pair  of  sticks  and  a  piece 
of  rubber  will  do  service.  Indeed,  for  various  rea- 
sons, it  is  best  that  they  begin  in  this  modest  way. 

It  is  a  mistaken  policy  to  continually  offer  privi- 
leges to  any  class  without  requiring  some  service  or 
self-help.  This,  of  itself,  is  an  educative  feature  that 
is  most  valuable.  I  once  had  a  Young  Men's  Club 
which  was  limited  to  ten  members.  They  were  all 
employed  in  factories  near  the  church.  The  boys 
wanted  a  gymnasium.  I  told  them  that  I  would 
provide  them  with  a  room,  if  they  would  manufac- 
ture some  of  the  material  necessary  for  fitting  up  the 
gymnasium,  and  that  I  would  help  them  in  the  mat- 
ter of  purchasing  other  material  which  they  could 
not  afford  to  buy.  They  soon  had  a  simple  outfit, 
and  I  had  contributed  only  about  $10.  The  boys 
appreciated  it  far  more  than  if  it  had  been  given  to 
them  outright,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  how  af- 
fectionately they  regarded  every  part  of  that  crude 
gymnasium.     It  was  their  own — purchased  at  a  real 


The  Institutional  Church  187 

sacrifice.  The  moral  and  mental  discipline,  acquired 
through  this  effort,  was  of  more  value  than  any 
physical  training  that  they  might  have  received  in  a 
more  elaborate  gymnasium. 

One  may  organize  many  kinds  of  clubs  for  all  ages 
and  for  both  sexes.  Whether  they  are  self-support- 
ing or  not,  they  should,  in  most  instances,  ca^i,  life  and 
be  self-governing.  A  club  spirit  among  "P^'^*' 
the  people  will  give  the  work  a  strong  esprit  de  corps 
which  is  very  desirable  in  any  kind  of  enterprise.  A 
literary  society  for  the  young  people  will  prove  an 
inspiration. 

A  flower  mission  may  be  conducted  at  practically 
no  expense  to  the  church.  In  this  very  beautiful 
ministry  one  can  easily  secure  the  interest  of  sub- 
urban dwellers  who  have  gardens.  The  express  com- 
panies usually  carry,  free  of  charge,  the  flowers 
which  are  sent  weekly  to  the  church  for  distribution. 
Little  girls — perhaps  the  members  of  the  Girls'  Club 
— will  serve  as  messengers  in  sending  the  refreshing 
bouquets  to  the  sick  and  the  poor. 

A  lack  of  money  need  not  keep  one  from  having  a 
mothers'  meeting.  Music  plays  a  most  prominent 
part  in  the  work  of  an  institutional  Employing 
church.  Why  not  invite  the  banjo  club,  "I'lsicai  talent, 
that  now  meets  back  of  the  saloon,  to  make  itself  at 
home  in  the  church?  No  doubt  some  of  your  own 
young  men  belong  to  it.  Most  churches  have  a 
chorus  choir.  Why  not  form  it  into  a  musical  club 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  musical  education  ?     It 


1 88  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

would  pay  the  Church  to  assume  all  the  expenses  of 
such  an  organization,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that 
it  would  give  the  Church  a  fine  company  of  volunteer 
singers.  But  the  class  may  be  made  nearly  self- 
supporting  by  charging  a  small  amount  for  dues. 

This  matter  of  making  an  enterprise  self-support- 
ing may  be  overdone.  Making  a  downtown  work 
8  If  rt  self-supporting  is  not  the  most  important 
not  most  im-  thing  in  connection  with  such  work.  But 
^°      '  these   suggestions   are   offered  to  prove 

that  quite  a  strong  institutional  church  may  be  con- 
ducted under  great  limitations,  so  far  as  finances  are 
concerned. 

Many  more  things  can  be  done  than  are  here  out- 
lined. It  may  not  be  wise  to  adopt  every  suggestion 
offered,  and  it  may  be  well  to  adapt  those  that  are 
adopted.  Everything  suggested  may  be  done  with 
the  amount  indicated,  besides  what  the  people  them- 
selves will  contribute  for  special  privileges.  Hard 
work  ?  Yes.  But  did  anybody  ever  do  anything  that 
was  worth  while  without  hard  work  ? 

Speaking  from  a  purely  human  standpoint — there 
is  no  patent  way  for  doing  these  things,  besides  hard 
Perspiratioa  work  and  genuine  enthusiasm  for  it. 
and  inspiration.  Perspiration  is  just  as  important  as  in- 
spiration, and  sometimes  it  accomplishes  more. 

After  all,  success  in  this  work  is  a  question  of  flesh 
and  blood,  rather  than  a  financial  problem.  Some- 
times you  can  buy  it,  and  those  who  have  the  money 
are  putting  most  of  it  into  men  and  women.     Right 


The  Institutional  Church  189 

here  is  the  opportunity  of  the  Church  in  its  great 
social  work.  If  we  can  secure  the  men  and  the 
women  who  will  serve  in  the  spirit  of  brotherhood — 
not  "going  down"  but  "coming  over" — ^many  of  the 
social  problems  of  the  day  will  be  got  at,  and  men 
will  be  won  to  Christ. 

Rewarding  Social  Effort 

It  is  with  a  sense  of  satisfaction  that  Christian 
workers  have  noticed  that  the  time  usually  comes  in 
the  experiences  of  these  for  whom  we  are  pleading, 
when  they  have  learned  to  live  out  in  their  homes  the 
lessons  which  have  been  taught  them  in  the  institu- 
tional church.  This  answers  the  criticism  of  those 
who  oppose  the  institutional  church,  that  after  this 
work  has  been  engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years,  it 
seems  to  have  lost  its  power  of  attraction — but  really, 
that  institutional  church  may  have  finished  its  work 
in  this  respect.  If  one  were  to  go  into  the  homes  of 
the  community  in  which  the  church  operated,  it 
would  be  discovered  that  these  homes  had  been  so 
radically  changed  because  of  the  influences  and  teach- 
ings of  the  institutional  church  that  there  is  no 
longer  the  need  which  was  found  at  the  beginning. 
Therefore,  this  apparent  failure  is  really  the  sign 
of  the  greatest  success. 

It  has  been  complained  that  rarely  do  those  who 
have  been  the  beneficiaries  of  the  institutional 
church  unite  with  that  church,  and  that  because  this 
has  been  so  the  institutional  church  is  a  failure.     A 


ipo  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

little  insight  into  human  nature  will  explain  this 
seeming    unresponsiveness,    where    this    has    been 
The  kingdom    the  case.     Usually,  when  the  ordinary 
extended.  j^^j^  qj.  -woman  has  become  the  object  of 

charity,  they  are  eager  to  get  away  from  the  scenes 
and  the  persons  who  were  the  witnesses  of  their  mis- 
fortune, but  they  generally  go  away  with  a  new  con- 
ception of  the  spirit  of  the  Church,  and  ordinarily 
they  are  grateful  to  the  particular  church  which  as- 
sisted them  in  the  hour  of  their  great  need,  whether 
that  assistance  came  through  a  free  dispensary,  the 
employment  bureau,  or  some  other  agency  of  the 
Church.  In  many  cases,  they  will  unite  with 
the  Church  in  the  neighborhood  to  which  they  have 
moved.  Thus  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  has 
been  enlarged,  and  for  this  every  follower  of  Him 
"Who  went  about  doing  good,"  should  be  grateful. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  institutional 

churches  of  this  country  are  receiving  more  people 

proportionately  than  are  being  received 

Institutional     1,1         1         ■,  1  >  1      •      1 

ohnrohesmost  ^y  the  churches  working  exclusively  on 
Buocessfiii         ^jjg  qI^  lines.     And  yet,  such  a  compari- 

spintnally.  _  .... 

son  is  hardly  fair  to  the  institutional 
churches,  because,  as  a  rule,  they  are  located  in  the 
hardest  fields,  where  the  old  line  churches  have  ut- 
terly failed,  and  because  no  account  is  taken  of  the 
great  good  that  has  been  accomplished  in  other  direc- 
tions, in  which  respect  the  old  line  churches  have  al- 
most altogether  missed  out. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  New  York  is 


The  Institutional  Church  191 

using  institutional  methods  far  more  commonly  than 
any  other  Church  and  it  is  growing  more  rapidly  than 
any  other  denomination.  In  this  denomination,  in 
New  York  City,  the  churches  which  are  growing 
most  rapidly  are  institutional. 

The  Markham  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church  in 
St.  Louis  for  several  years  has  been  receiving  more 
members  on  confession  of  faith  than  any  other  church 
in  the  same  Presbytery,  and  it  is  the  only  Presby- 
terian church  in  the  city  which  is  recognized  as  in- 
stitutional. During  a  recent  year  it  stood  eighth  in 
this  respect  among  the  8,000  Presbyterian  churches 
in  the  United  States. 

The  average  Congregational  institutional  church 
has  six  times  as  many  additions  on  confession  of  faith 
as  the  average  church  of  that  denomination. 


VIII 
AGGKESSIVE  EVAl^^GELISM 

The  Oospel  for  the  City 

Whatever  may  be  said  in  condemnation  of  indi- 
vidualistic evangelism,  and  however  inadequate  it 
T  J.  .,  ,  may  be  to  meet  all  the  needs  of  men — 
istio  salvatioii  social  and  ethical — nevertheless  it  is 
fundamental  in  the  task  of  bringing 
about  right  relationships  between  men.  Therefore, 
in  the  gifts  which  God  has  distributed  among  meUj, 
He  has  given  it  to  some  to  be  evangelists — ^men  whose 
peculiar  work  it  is  to  win  others  to  Christ. 

Every  generation  has  presented  a  peculiar  need 
in  religious  life  and  work,  and  always  has  God  had 
ready  a  man  to  preach  the  message  which  his  age 
needed  most,  but  whatever  else  that  message  may 
have  included,  it  never  left  out  the  great  fact  of 
man's  personal  relationship  to  God.  That  cannot 
be  a  true  social  message  which  eliminates  Him  Who 
taught  us  that  all  men  are  brothers.  There  may  be 
differences  of  opinion  as  to  methods  of  approach :  fre- 
quently the  language  is  different,  and  sometimes  the 
doctrine  taught  has  varied,  but  every  great  evangelist 
of  to-day  stands  for  personal  salvation  as  a  prime 
factor  in  securing  better  social  conditions. 

1 92 


Aggressive  Evangelism  193 

The  recent  visit  to  America  of  Gypsy  Smith  and 
W.  J.  Dawson  has  been  fraught  with  great  blessing 
to  thousands.  Their  clear-cut  messages  have  re- 
sulted in  the  quickening  of  multitudes  who  had  not 
known  God.  The  world-wide  movement  under  the 
leadership  of  R.  A.  Torrey,  who  has  many  of  the 
stronger  characteristics  of  D.  L.  Moody,  was  prob- 
ably the  greatest  campaign  ever  conducted  in  the 
history  of  evangelism.  Dr.  Torrey  has  demonstrated 
beyond  all  question  that  old-fashioned  doctrinal 
preaching  has  not  lost  its  power  over  the  hearts  of 
men,  whatever  may  be  said  for  the  new  evangelism. 

Simultaneous  campaigns,  covering  the  entire  city 
through  numerous  centres,  and  which  work  out  from 
a  common  centre,  are  meeting  every-  Moving  the 
where  with  the  success  which  they  de-  city  for  God. 
serve,  under  the  direction  of  generals  in  the  Church 
whose  ability  as  leaders  would  do  credit  to  any  move- 
ment which  requires  force,  intelligence,  and  enthu- 
siasm. 

The  great  city  campaigns  conducted  under  the 
leadership  of  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  have  chal- 
lenged the  Church  to  step  out  into  larger  and  better 
work.  His  peculiar  method  is  to  move  the  city  from 
the  centre.  The  movement  is  centrifugal  rather 
than  centripetal. 

While  the  methods  adopted  in  these  campaigns  are 
far  from  being  either  unsafe  or  insane,  nevertheless 
there  is  a  boldness  of  conception  and  execution  which 
sometimes  startles  even  those  who  consider  them- 


194  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

selves  progressive.  To  be  sure,  the  "Midnight  Pa- 
rades" are  not  especially  new,  hut  never  before  have 
they  been  conducted  in  just  such  a  manner,  and  with 
such  results. 

Ten  thousand  marching  Christians  singing  the 
songs  of  Zion  in  the  "Red  Light"  district  is  a  spec- 
tacular proceeding  which  shakes  the  city.  But  it  is 
more  than  that,  and  it  accomplishes  more — it  is  an 
evidence  that  these  Christian  people  really  care  for 
the  outcasts  from  society,  and  it  wins  many  of  them 
to  Jesus  Christ. 

To  have  the  largest  theatres  in  the  city  packed  full 
at  the  midnight  hour,  after  such  a  parade,  and  to 
A  midnight  have  the  new  day  become  as  the  begin- 
meeting.  j^j^g  ^f  jjfg  ^q  multitudes,  is  indeed  a 

significant  thing,  which  causes  joy  in  the  presence  of 
those  who  sang  at  the  birth  of  Him  Who  made  it  all 
possible. 

The  children  march  for  Christ.  It  is  a  gala  day 
for  them.  Beginning  with  a  unique  service  of  song, 
following  immediately  the  afternoon  school  session, 
they  pour  into  the  streets,  are  quickly  lined  up,  and 
parade  through  the  principal  downtown  squares, 
drawing  attention  to  the  crusade  against  sin  which  is 
going  on  all  over  the  city. 

Asking  that  the  stores  and  the  oflBces  of  an  entire 
municipality  be  closed  for  two  or  three  hours  during 
the  middle  of  the  day,  so  that  the  whole  city  may  for- 
get its  business  and  remember  its  God,  seems  a  bold 
thing  to  ask,  but  whenever  it  is  requested,  the  answer 


Aggressive  Evangelism  195 

is  always  in  the  affirmative.  Hebrew,  Catholic, 
Protestant,  and  infidel — all  join  in  testifying  that 
God  still  reigns ; — with  various  motives,  true  enough, 
but  does  it  not  prove  that  when  the  Church  is  really 
in  earnest  about  its  business,  it  may  command  even 
those  who  now  scoff  at  its  seeming  lack  of  enthusi- 
asm? Anyway,  once  again  the  city  is  told  that  a 
movement  is  in  progress  which  makes  for  its  salva- 
tion. 

To  adequately  describe  the  big  men's  mass  meet- 
ings would  be  an  impossibility.  Often  hundreds 
cannot  crowd  into  the  largest  halls  and  theatres  in  the 
city  to  hear  about  their  sins — and  their  possible  sal- 
vation. For  a  score  of  men  to  leave  the  topmost 
gallery,  working  their  way  down  the  winding  stairs, 
go  out  into  the  street  and  back  again  into  the  main 
part  of  the  theatre,  so  that  they  may  take  a  public 
stand  for  Christ,  indicating  by  so  doing  that  they 
have  accepted  Him  as  their  Saviour,  proves,  at  least, 
that  they  are  in  earnest.  This  was  done  many  times, 
but  many  more  came  from  the  main  floor  and  the 
balcony.  It  has  been  said  that  men  are  hard  to 
reach.  Again  and  again  is  it  proven  that  they  are 
easier  to  win  than  women.  Getting  at  them — that 
is  the  hardest  part  of  the  problem.  In  theatre,  hall, 
shop,  and  on  the  street — ^wherever  men  would  come, 
there  the  Gospel  is  always  preached  with  power. 

The  noonday  meetings  in  the  largest  downtown 
theatres  bring  thousands  into  touch  with  the  move- 
ment.    The  "Good  Cheer"  meetings  on  every  Mon- 


196  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

day    morning    bring    echoes    from    every    district. 
"Cheer  Up"  meetings,  somebody  called  them  by  mis- 
Inspirational    take  one  day,  amid  the  laughter  of  the  au- 
aerrioes.  dience,  but  they  are  that,  too.     Not  only 

are  cheerful  tidings  brought  in,  telling  of  the  good 
work  as  a  whole,  but  here  and  there  a  man  will  tell 
of  the  new  life  that  has  come  to  him,  and  often  a 
woman  will  repeat  the  story  of  a  great  newly  given 
joy,  which  finds  an  echo  in  many  hearts  and  lives  in 
the  immense  audience. 

Besides  all  these  great  special  meetings,  and  dem- 
onstrations, there  are  the  regular  nightly  services, 
not  only  in  the  centre  of  town,  but  at  every  strategic 
point  in  the  city,  in  charge  of  the  group  of  evangel- 
ists and  their  singers  who  accompany  the  leader. 

The  Gospel  in  the  Slums 

Down  into  the  slums  they  go,  too,  these  evangelists 
— ^to  rescue  the  wrecks  of  humanity  who  are  stranded 
"Starring"  an  there.  It  was  in  a  city  on  the  Western 
eyangelifit.  coast  that  Dr.  Chapman  was  featured 
last  season,  as  a  special  theatrical  attraction — it  was 
one  of  the  most  unique  things  ever  heard  of  in  that 
town.  He  was  the  "star"  for  an  evening  in  the 
"Strand  Theatre." 

The  "Strand"  is  on  the  "dead  line."  That  is,  it 
borders  that  part  of  the  city  which,  by  common  con- 
sent, is  given  over  to  the  so-called  lowest  element  in 
society.  Past  its  doors  stream,  nightly,  hundreds  of 
men  on  their  way  to  the  dens  and  dives  of  the  "Ten- 


Aggressive  Evangelism  197 

derloin."  But  the  "Strand"  gets  its  share  of  the 
horrible  business  of  that  neighborhood.  Its  immense 
dance  hall  and  vaudeville  show  attract  crowds  of 
men — especially  the  younger  men — ^who  have  a  de- 
sire to  see  the  seamy  side  of  life. 

The  details  of  the  meeting  were  admirably  worked 
out.  The  advertising  consisted  of  large  posters 
which  adorned  the  fences  and  the  billboards  of  the 
neighborhood,  but  in  addition  to  these,  invitation 
cards  were  printed  and  sent  to  the  inmates  of  the 
gaming  houses  and  houses  of  ill  repute.  "Come" 
— read  the  invitation — "it  will  do  you  no  harm.  It 
may  do  you  some  good."  These  invitations  were  is- 
sued by  the  manager  of  the  theatre. 

When  Dr.  Chapman  and  his  assistants  arrived, 
the  streets  were  thronged  by  thousands  of  men  who 
could  not  enter,  because  both  the  dance  hall  and  the 
theatre  were  already  filled.  Forcing  their  way 
through  an  alley  with  the  help  of  half  a  dozen  police- 
men, the  party  was  soon  confronted  by  an  audience 
of  two  thousand  men,  while  in  the  theatre  immedi- 
ately adjoining  there  were  nearly  a  thousand  more. 
In  the  galleries  and  in  the  boxes  were  seated  many 
of  the  women  of  the  community,  who  had  accepted 
the  invitation  of  the  manager. 

ITeedless  to  say,  the  audience  was  not  made  up  of 
those  who  usually  attend  the  services  of  the 
churches.  The  owner  himself  pre-  some  striking 
sented  the  speaker :  oharaoteristics. 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "it  is  a  great 


198  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

favor  to  introduce  Dr.  Chapman,  who  will  take  charge 
of  the  meeting." 

"I  haven't  come  down  to  tell  you  that  you  are  sin- 
ners above  all  other  people,"  was  the  evangelist's 
salutation.  "Sin  is  sin,  no  matter  who  commits  it 
I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  God  loves  you. 

"Shall  we  sing  'Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee'1" 

How  they  did  sing  it!  Above  the  strong  bass 
voices  of  the  men,  standing  on  the  main  floor,  could 
be  heard  the  clear  sopranos  in  the  galleries.  Those 
girls  had  been  Sunday  School  girls.  Many  of  them 
told  Dr.  Chapman  so.  The  way  in  which  they  sang 
that  sacred  song  proved  it.  The  tears  that  came 
into  their  eyes  indicated  it. 

And  when  the  audience  was  requested  to  repeat 
the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  the  hearty  response  was  a 
sign  that  the  men  had  at  one  time  been  familiar  with 
better  things.  It  needed  but  little  prompting  to 
bring  back  memories  of  a  period  in  their  lives  when 
that  sweet  Scripture  was  regarded  as  a  precious  heri- 
tage. And  who  knows  but  what  it  had  often  proven 
to  be  that  even  during  the  days  and  nights  of  wander- 
ing from  the  far-off  home  in  the  East  ? 

"When  he  was  yet  a  great  way  off,  his  father  saw 
him,"  was  the  text  around  which  the  story  of  the 
Prodigal  was  woven. 

Closely  packed  and  uncomfortable,  as  most  of  the 
An  effective     Toaen  were,    their   interest   was   intense, 
appeal.  Sometimes  a  sob,  coming  from  the  gal- 

lery, could  be  heard  all  over  the  crowded  building,  but 


Aggressive  Evangelism  199 

no  one  mocked,  for  wasn't  everybody  trying  to  hold 
back  the  same  cry  of  the  soul  ? 

"Who  is  there  to-night  that  has  a  desire  to  come  to 
the  Father?  Who  will  lift  his  hand  for  prayer?" 
came  the  invitation  at  the  close  of  the  address.  All 
over  the  audience  were  the  hands  lifted,  and  when 
the  speaker  requested  that  those  who  desired  to  be 
prayed  for  should  kneel  with  him,  it  seemed  as 
though  a  cyclone  had  swept  over  the  crowd  as  the 
men  went  down  by  hundreds. 

The  manager  had  been  standing  in  the  "wings" 
during  the  service.  Evidently  he  was  deeply 
touched. 

"This  is  the  greatest  thing  that  has  ever  come  into 
my  life,"  he  said,  with  deep  feeling.  And  as  the 
preacher  held  his  hand,  the  tears  came  streaming 
down  his  cheeks. 

After  the  service  Dr.  Chapman  visited  some  of 
the  boxes,  in  which  groups  of  the  young  women  re- 
mained, apparently  unwilling  to  leave  for  their  mis- 
erably gaudy  abodes,  and  go  back  to  their  lives  of 
sin. 

"Girls,  I'm  very  sorry  for  you.  This  is  an  awful 
place.  Don't  you  think  so  ?  I  have  a  daughter  my- 
self, and  I  know  what  it  must  mean  to  your  father  to 
have  you  here.  Won't  you  give  it  up  and  go  home  ?" 
There  was  a  moment's  silence  as  the  evangelist 
waited  for  an  answer,  then  he  added : 

"You  surely  cannot  enjoy  this  kind  of  a  life." 

Then,  perhaps  the  youngest  and  one  of  the  bright- 


200  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

est  said:  "Not  altogether;  I  expect  to  leave  it  some 
time,  but  the  glamour  hasn't  worn  off  yet." 

But  that  was  the  expression — not  altogether  sin- 
cere either — of  the  boldest.  The  rest  hung  their 
heads,  and  two  or  three  burst  into  tears. 

The  next  day  the  manager  of  the  theatre  was  noti- 
fied by  two  of  his  girl  performers  that  they  had  de- 
Some  of  the  cided  to  give  up  the  business.  They 
results.  were  going  home.     They  would  give  up 

their  assumed  names  and  all  that  they  implied  and 
try  to  live  right  lives.  That  week,  four  women,  in 
good  circumstances — members  of  one  of  the  most 
prominent  churches  in  the  city — informed  their  pas- 
tor that  they  were  ready  to  assist  any  woman  in  the 
Tenderloin  in  every  way  possible.  Letters  came 
from  the  suburbs  and  nearby  cities  offering  assistance 
and  promising  to  shelter  any  sin-sick  girl  who  desired 
help.  The  ministers  of  the  city  who  were  present  at 
the  meeting  were  introduced  to  the  audience,  with 
the  remark  that  if  ever  any  man  or  women  needed 
help  of  any  kind,  these  men  stood  ready  to  render 
aid.     "The  churches  do  care,"  insisted  the  ministers. 

Finally,  at  a  meeting  of  the  ministers  of  all  denom- 
inations, held  a  few  days  after  the  theatre  services, 
it  was  resolved  that  a  permanent  rescue  work  be  es- 
tablished, in  the  heart  of  the  Tenderloin,  which 
should  be  conducted  in  a  large,  aggressive  way. 

These  are  the  results  which  are  known  about  defi- 
nitely. But  who  can  tell  of  the  other  men  and 
women  who  were  touched  by  that  service,  and  who  re- 


Aggressive  Evangelism  201 

solved  to  forever  forsake  sin  and  live  for  Christ — 
those  who  did  not  give  their  names  to  the  workers,  or, 
perhaps,  did  not  even  kneel  in  prayer  ? 

The  Gospel  in  the  Shops 

Special  campaigns  in  the  shops  at  the  noon-hour, 
having  for  their  purpose  the  reaching  of  working 
people,  are  being  successfully  prosecuted  in  many 
American  cities.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations are  giving  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  this 
phase  of  evangelistic  work,  although,  as  a  rule,  their 
meetings  are  in  the  nature  of  Bible  classes,  having, 
however,  the  evangelistic  motive.  Many  Young  Peo- 
ple's Societies  are  becoming  interested  in  this 
method.  But  especially  has  the  Church,  usually 
upon  an  interdenominational  basis,  taken  up  this 
method  of  "getting  at"  working  people. 

Such  a  campaign  was  recently  conducted  by  five 
hundred  churches  in  Chicago,  with  very  good  suc- 
cess. About  three  hundred  meetings  , 
were  held  during  ten  consecutive  days,  dred  meetings 
omitting  Sunday,  in  one  hundred  and 
ten  different  centres.  They  were  attended  by 
nearly  one  hundred  thousand  workingmen.  Fifty 
thousand  souvenir  programmes  and  thirty  thousand 
Gospels  in  various  languages  were  distributed.  The 
entire  campaign  cost  something  over  one  thousand 
dollars,  although  more  than  one-half  of  this  amount 
was  spent  for  cornetists.  Besides  the  ministers,  a 
large  force  of  laymen  assisted  in  the  meetings  as 


202  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

soloists,  leaders  of  singing,  organists,  distributors  of 
programmes  and  Gospels,  gramophone  operators,  and 
personal  workers.  All  of  these  gave  their  services 
gratuitously.  Indeed,  no  one  connected  with  the 
campaign  was  paid  for  his  services,  excepting  the  pro- 
fessional musicians. 

Personal  letters  were  sent  to  every  shop-owner  in 
the  city  employing  over  one  hundred  men,  requesting 
(Jetting  into  that  permission  be  granted  the  commit- 
the  shops.  ^gg  ^Q  conduct  meetings  in  their  plants. 

Many  responded  favorably  without  further  solicita- 
tion. Others  required  a  personal  interview  by  men  who 
were  especially  gifted  in  meeting  objections  of  the 
kind  offered.  After  the  plan  of  campaign  had  been 
carefully  explained,  permission  was  granted  in  al- 
most every  instance.  Printed  notices  of  a  uniform 
size — fourteen  by  twenty-two  inches — were  posted  in 
the  shops  two  days  before  the  first  meeting  was  held. 

On  the  appointed  day,  promptly  at  noon,  the  cor- 
netist  took  his  station  at  the  meeting-place,  and  just 
as  soon  as  the  whistle  ceased  its  shriek,  he  began 
playing,  as  the  men  filed  out  or  sat  down  to  eat  their 
lunches.  It  was  good  music,  too.  It  was  not  neces- 
sarily the  kind  that  is  known  as  "sacred  music." 
Sometimes  it  was  a  "rag-time"  selection,  or  some 
other  tune  that  was  familiar  to  the  crowd,  which,  per- 
haps, they  had  first  heard  at  the  theatre  or  in  the 
saloon.  But  whatever  the  tune,  it  was  well  played, 
for  every  cornetist  was  a  professional,  and  under- 
stood his  business.     It  was  the  chief  function  of  the 


Aggressive  Evangelism  203 

cornetist  to  collect  the  crowd,  and  he  usually  suc- 
ceeded. 

While  the  cornetist  played,  the  other  workers  dis- 
tributed the  four-page  souvenir  programmes.  On 
the  front  page  was  printed  part  of  Henry  Van 
Dyke's  poem,  "The  Toiling  of  Felix" : 

"This  is  the  gospel  of  Labor — 

Ring  it,  ye  bells  of  the  kirk! 
The  Lord  of  Love  came  down  from  above 

To  live  with  the  men  who  work. 
This  is  the  rose  he  planted 

Here  in  the  thorn-cursed  soil; 
Heaven  is  blest  with  perfect  rest, 

But  the  blessing  of  earth  is  toil." 

The  second  page  contained  five  selected  hymns. 
These  were  followed,  on  page  three,  by  some  appro- 
priate Scripture.  The  last  page  contained  a  greet- 
ing to  workingmen  from  the  Chicago  churches.  It 
read  as  follows: 

"The  churches  of  Chicago  have  a  message  for  the 
workingman.     That  is  why  we  come  to  you  in  these 
shop-meetings.     There  is  no  other  reason 
for  our  coming.     In  social  life  it  is  cus-    greeting  to 
tomary  to   return  another's  call.     May    ^"  ingmen- 
we  not  expect  you  to  call  on  us  ?     We  assure  you  of 
a  welcome  in  our  church  homes. 

"But  there  is  another  reason  as  to  why  you  should 
go  to  church.  Some  of  you  have  children.  Your 
children  are  watching  you.  They  believe  that  you 
are  the  best  man  in  all  the  world,  and  that  what  you 


204  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

do  must  be  right.  You  know  how  true  that  was  in 
your  own  childhood  experience.  When  the  awaken- 
ing comes  to  your  children,  as  it  one  day  came  to  you, 
would  it  not  be  more  comfortable  for  you  to  realize 
that  your  example  as  fathers  was  such  as  to  lead  them 
toward  that  institution  which,  way  down  in  your 
hearts,  you  know  to  be  the  most  uplifting  force  in 
human  society  ? 

"Your  wives  need  your  help  in  training  those  chil- 
dren for  God  and  for  righteousness.  It  is  hardly  a 
square  deal  to  thrust  upon  our  wives  all  of  the  respon- 
sibility in  this  matter. 

"You  need  the  Church  for  your  own  sake.  Per- 
haps you  are  saying  that  you  can  lead  the  Christian 
life  outside  the  Church.  That  may  be  true.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  you  do  need  the  Church  to 
live  the  best  kind  of  a  Christian  life,  and  you  know 
it  Why  not  be  honest  about  it?  We  want  not 
yours,  but  you.  Our  business  in  the  world  is  to  help 
people.  We  do  not  pretend  that  we  are  blameless 
— but  we  do  believe  that  in  our  churches  you  will 
find  that  sympathy,  that  fellowship,  that  hope,  that 
life,  which  we  ourselves  found.  We  want  you  to 
have  it.  More  important  still — Jesus  Christ  wants 
you  to  have  it.    Won't  you  come  ?" 

These  programmes  were  eagerly  sought  by  the 
men,  and  many  of  them  were  taken  to  their  homes, 
where  the  wife  and  children  received  the  benefit  of 
whatever  good  they  contained. 

Usually  the  cornetist  played  ten  minutes.     He  was 


Aggressive  Evangelism  205 

followed  by  a  vocal  soloist,  and  at  12 :15  the  speaker 
began.     It  was  found  important  to  close       ©  t  ii  d  - 
promptly     three     minutes     before     the     termined  by 

1  •   ,T      t  ^  If  ,1  ,  1         circumstances; 

whistle  blew,  calling  the  men  to  work. 
Rarely  was  more  than  half  an  hour  given  for  the 
entire  luncheon  time,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to 
crowd  the  entire  service  into  fifteen  to  eighteen  min- 
utes, aside  from  the  time  given  to  the  cornetist. 
Sometimes  the  men  were  urged  to  sing.  In  most 
cases,  however,  this  was  not  attempted,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  lack  of  time,  but  because  it  was 
thought  that  they  were  not  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  the  leader.  Not  always  was  a  Scripture  lesson 
read,  nor  was  prayer  offered  at  every  meeting. 
!N^either  were  the  men  always  urged  to  give  an  out- 
ward manifestation  of  their  acceptance  of  Christ. 
The  leaders  were  guided  entirely  by  circumstances 
and  their  judgment  was  usually  good. 

No  one  can  estimate  the  good  accomplished  by  the 
distribution  of  the  Gospels.  The  men  were  not 
urged  to  take  them,  although  they  Eagerness 
crowded  about  the  speaker  and  his  assist-  ^o' tlie  (Jospela. 
ants  after  each  meeting  in  order  to  receive  copies. 
Even  before  the  workers  left  the  shop,  many  of  the 
men  were  seen  seated  in  corners,  earnestly  reading 
what,  to  some  of  them,  must  have  been  a  new  story. 

At  the  close  of  each  meeting  a  postal  report-card 
was  filled  out  by  the  speaker  and  mailed  to  the  office, 
where  the  results  were  systematically  tabulated. 

As  a  partial  result  of  the  campaign,  the  committee 


2o6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

received  seventy-five  requests  for  permanent  weekly 
meetings.  These  were  distributed  among  the 
churches  situated  nearest  the  factories  desiring  meet- 
ings. Another  happy  result  was  the  stirring  which 
came  to  preachers  and  lay  workers  alike  as  they  saw 
the  possibilities  in  this  form  of  Christian  service. 

One  of  the  leading  ministers  of  the  city  wrote,  in 
reply  to  a  request  that  he  tell  something  of  his  im- 
pressions, as  follows: 

"I  was  impressed:  (1)  With  the  willingness  and 
ability  of  the  everyday  pastor  and  layman  to  do  this 
Seven  favor-  work.  The  talking  was  effective  under 
able  points.  very  trying  circumstances  at  times.  (2) 
The  willing  hearing  men  and  women  gave  the  preach- 
ing, though  it  may  have  seemed  to  them  a  little  out  of 
the  ordinary.  (3)  The  hope  and  new  spirit  it  gave  to 
some  of  the  workers.  They  felt  they  were  doing 
something  after  the  manner  of  the  true  disciples  who 
were  told  to  'go.'  I  felt  this  myself.  (4)  It  was  a 
great  comfort  to  hundreds  of  workingmen,  who,  as 
Christians,  working  alongside  of  swearing,  unsaved 
men,  get  discouraged  with  the  situation  that  no  one 
seems  trying  to  relieve.  (5)  That  the  Church  has 
the  matter  in  her  hand  now.  The  men  are  dis- 
armed, to  considerable  extent,  of  their  old-time 
prejudices  against  the  Church,  and  are  more  ready  to 
give  her  a  hearing  than  before.  She  must  follow  up 
her  gains.  (6)  The  Bible,  in  all  languages,  miist  be 
given  the  people  of  Chicago.  They  want  it.  They 
will  take  it  and  read  it.     The  results  will  appear 


Aggressive  Evangelism  207 

small,  perhaps,  but  certain.  (7)  Some  permanency 
must  be  given  the  effort  after  shop-work.  It  is  a  call 
we  cannot  refuse  to  heed." 

Another  wrote:  "In  response  to  your  letter  I  am 
glad  to  say  that  the  impression  made  upon  me  by  the 
effort  to  reach  the  men  of  the  factories 

An  open  dooTi 

has  been  really  profound,  not  so  much  by 
reason  of  what  has  already  been  accomplished — 
though  that  has  more  than  repaid  every  effort  put 
forth,  I  am  sure — ^but  especially  by  the  open-door  that 
has  been  set  before  the  Church  of  this  city.  We 
have  been  lamenting  the  fact  that  the  people  do  not 
care  to  come  to  our  churches  as  we  think  they 
should,  and  some,  indeed,  have  gone  so  far  as  to  hold 
that  it  is  but  little  use  to  try  to  win  the  multitude  for 
Christ.  Scepticism  is  always  ready  to  say  that  the 
Gospel  has  now  lost  its  power — ^when,  behold,  a  door 
is  touched  and  opens,  and  we  are  before  thousands  of 
intelligent  workingmen,  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the 
city  and  the  country,  ready  and  even  interested  to 
hear  the  'old,  old  story.'  What  a  failure  it  will  be 
if  now  this  door  is  not  made  a  ready  means  of  access 
to  these  workingmen's  homes,  and  thus  to  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  their  families.  What  if  the  Church,  as 
such,  does  not  reap  any  immediate  reward !  It  is 
enough  if  the  kingdom  is  strengthened.  But  the 
Church  will  be  helped  if  the  kingdom  is." 

Cordial  letters  of  approval  from  the  shop- 
owners  and  superintendents  might  be  multiplied, 
indicating  that  the  work  appealed  to  their  sane  busi- 


2o8  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

ness  judgment.     Even  Jewish  employers  responded 
How  the  em-    favorably.     Here  is  a  letter  of  commen- 
ployers  took  it.    Nation  which  came  from  a  Jewish  firm 
employing  several  thousand  men : 

"Dear  Sir:     Your  favor  of received.     I 

believe  that  work,  such  as  your  committee  is  doing, 
always  results  in  good,  and  is  worthy  of  encourage- 
ment and  support  by  the  business  community.  I 
have  no  doubt  but  what  most  large  companies  will  be 
glad  to  have  you  conduct  meetings  in  their  establish- 
ments, as  the  way  same  are  handled  by  you  does  not 
interfere  with  the  work  of  employes.  Wishing  you 
the  success  which  your  work  deserves,  we  beg  to  re- 
main 

"Yours  very  truly, 

"S.  &  S.  Co." 

There  are  few  better  ways  to  reach  workingmen 
for  Christ  than  through  shop-meetings.  Perhaps  it 
Why  working-  is  because  the  grime  on  his  face  serves  as 
men  respond.  ^  mask  to  his  emotions,  or  because  he 
feels  more  comfortable  in  his  overalls  than  he  does 
when  he  is  "dressed  up."  Possibly  he  thinks  that  he 
has  the  leader  at  a  disadvantage  because  he  is  in 
strange  and  unfamiliar  surroundings.  Or  it  may  be 
that  he  feels  more  secure  because  he  is  surrounded  by 
his  shopmates.  The  minister  may  look  a  little  dif- 
ferent to  him,  perched  on  top  of  a  machine  tool  or 
a  packing-box  than  when  he  stands  in  his  pulpit  on 


Aggressive  Evangelism  209 

Sundays.  It  is  barely  possible  that  it  is  because  tbe 
preacher  gets  away  from  ecclesiastical  expressions, 
and  that  the  "holy  tone"  has  been  left  in  the  church. 
iJsTo  doubt  he  is  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  minis- 
ter is  in  dead  earnest,  or  else  he  would  not  come 
down  to  speak  to  him  in  his  shop.  Anyway,  for  some 
reason,  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  approach  the 
workingman  in  the  shop  in  which  he  is  daily  em- 
ployed. 

It  is  considered  quite  an  accomplishment  in  some 
churches  if  one  succeeds  in  getting  a  dozen  working- 
men  into  the  Sunday-school  for  the  study  of  the 
Bible,  even  though  practically  every  one  is  a  pro- 
fessing Christian.  The  class  is  considered  of 
sufficient  importance  to  warrant  one  in  spending  a 
great  deal  of  time  in  preparation  for  the  Sunday 
session.  But  here  is  an  opportunity  for  reaching 
many  more  men,  and  men  who  rarely,  if  ever,  go  to 
any  church.  Other  methods  may  be  employed  with 
good  results  at  various  seasons  of  the  year,  but  it  has 
been  demonstrated  that  the  shop-meeting  is  one  of 
the  best  methods  at  any  time  of  the  year. 

The  Gospel  in  Public  Institutions 

Meetings  in  public  institutions,  such  as  jails,  hos- 
pitals, and  poorhouses,  reach  a  very  needy  class.  In 
some  cities  religious  organizations  have  Beaching  a 
appointed  chaplains  to  minister  to  the  needy  class. 
inmates,  and,  as  a  rule,  the  greater  part  of  the  work 
is  left  to  this  official,  whereas  the  opportunity  for 


aio  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

volunteer  service  is  almost  unlimited.  Especially  is 
this  true  in  connection  with  the  regular  Sunday 
preaching  services,  which  are  always  looked  forward 
to  with  great  interest  by  the  unfortunates  who,  for 
various  reasons,  have  been  deprived  of  a  freer,  fuller 
life. 

Many  of  the  inmates  can  be  reached  at  no  other 
time  in  their  lives.  Sometimes  they  attend  the  re- 
ligious service  simply  as  a  diversion,  but  in  the  end 
they  are  won  to  Christ.  They  have  come  to  an  end 
of  things  in  their  own  lives.  They  have  time  to 
think  soberly  upon  the  matter  of  their  personal  salva- 
tion. Some  men  seem  to  have  been  sent  to  jail  in 
order  that  they  might  be  brought  nearer  to  Christ. 
Some  of  the  best-known  workers  in  rescue  missions 
were  started  on  the  right  way  as  the  result  of  a 
personal  service  rendered  or  a  sermon  preached  in 
jail. 

It  is  the  service  of  the  sympathetic  volunteer  as- 
sistant that  usually  counts  for  most.  The  inmate 
realizes  that  it  is  not  done  professionally.  It  is  a 
decided  advantage  to  conduct  such  services  regularly. 
Indeed,  this  is  almost  essential  if  the  best  work  is  to 
be  accomplished.  Managers  of  such  institutions 
soon  tire  of  the  spasmodic  efforts  of  amateurs,  whose 
enthusiasm  soon  fades  away. 

One's  common  sense  will  dictate  the  rules  for  such 
work.  Secure  the  permission  of  the  Superintendent, 
keep  the  good  will  of  the  attendants,  do  not  violate 
the  laws  of  the  institution,  and  attend  strictly  to 


Aggressive  Evangelism  2ii 

the  business  in  hand,  are  among  the  most  essential 
things  to  remember.     Tact  is  absolutely 

General 

necessary,  m  prayer,  m  conversation,  and  rules  to  be 
in  public  address.  Usually  the  same  obserred. 
kind  of  a  Gospel  message  should  be  preached  that 
would  be  preached  elsewhere,  without  reference 
either  to  the  peculiar  circumstances  or  the  surround- 
ings of  the  audience.  The  use  of  literature  is  very 
strongly  recommended.  The  inmates  have  time  to 
read.  But  the  material  employed  must  really  be 
worth  while. 

The  Gospel  during  the  Summer  Season 

The  summer  season  offers  a  peculiar  advantage  for 
aggressive  evangelism.  Meetings  in  the  open  air  in 
front  of  the  church,  especially  if  that  church  is  on  a 
public  square  or  across  from  a  park,  can  be  made 
most  effective.  Conducted  for  half  an  hour  before 
the  regular  evening  service,  the  crowds  may  be  drawn 
into  the  church  for  the  second  service.  If  the  church 
is  on  a  side  street  or  away  from  the  crowd,  the  logical 
thing  to  do  is  to  go  to  the  street  or  the  square  where 
the  crowd  is. 

Meetings  in  the  park  itself  can  sometimes  be  ar- 
ranged. Permission  must  be  secured  from  the  Park 
Commissioners  or  from  the  city  authori-  Opportunities 
ties.  In  Pittsburgh,  the  Rev.  S.  Edward  i^^tie  parks. 
Young  has  had  remarkable  success  in  such  work, 
sometimes  speaking  to  fifteen  thousand  persons  on 
Sunday  afternoons.     But  on  a  smaller  scale,  this 


212  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

work  may  be  carried  on  by  many  churches  in  the 
city. 

Meetings  on  the  docks  of  the  city  have  been  car- 
ried on  with  great  success,  especially  in  Philadelphia 
and  New  York.  The  stereopticon  has  been  used  in 
these  cities,  and  always  with  profit.  Noonday  meet- 
ings on  the  street,  near  public  buildings  or  general 
office  buildings  have  been  successfully  carried  on  in 
some  cities. 

Tent  work  is  very  attractive.  In  several  leading 
cities  such  work  has  become  a  permanent  feature  of 
Under  the  Summer  evangelism.  In  a  leaflet,  pub- 
oanTas  canopy,  listed  by  the  Presbyterian  Evangelistic 
Committee,  Mr.  John  H.  Converse,  Chairman  of  the 
Committee,  writes  as  follows,  with  reference  to  this 
form  of  Christian  service : 

"The  approach  of  summer  suggests  the  opportunity 
and  the  need  of  arranging  for  evangelistic  work  dur- 
ing that  season.  Whilst,  in  some  cases,  the  impres- 
sion prevails  that  during  the  summer  there  must 
necessarily  be  a  cessation  of  such  work,  we  urge 
upon  pastors  and  elders  the  special  opportunities 
which  are  presented  at  that  time.  In  many  cases 
social  engagements  are  fewer  during  the  summer, 
places  of  amusement  are  closed,  people  are  generally 
out  of  doors,  and  there  is  more  leisure  to  attend 
evangelistic  services. 

"We  do  not  desire  to  urge  any  one  form  of  work 
more  than  another,  realizing  that  conditions  differ  in 
different  localities.     Open-air  work  in  churchyards, 


Aggressive  Evangelism  213 

parks,  public  squares,  and  on  the  streets,  is  with  many 
a  favorite  method.     The  use   of  halls,  items  of 

theatres,   armories,  and  other  available  expense. 

buildings  has  also  much  to  recommend  it.  It  is  be- 
lieved, however,  that  the  general  preference  would  be 
for  tent  work.  This  has  been  tried  in  many  of  our 
cities  and  has  been  found  to  be  attractive  and  espe- 
cially eflficient.  Multitudes  who  would  not  enter  a 
church  will  attend  tent  meetings.  Tents  can  usually 
be  hired  at  moderate  charges.  The  following  is  the 
estimate  of  the  cost  per  week  of  tent  service,  based 
on  the  experience  in  Philadelphia : 

Eental  of  tent,  per  week,  for  the  season. .  .$10.00 

Rental  of  chairs,  per  week 10.00 

Lights,  per  week 5.00 

Janitor,  per  week 9.00 

Moving  tent 5.00 

Printing,  advertising,  etc 10.00 

Evangelistic  and  musical  services  (average) 

per  week TO.OO" 

When  the  preaching  and  singing  are  done  by  the 
minister  and  volunteer  assistants,  the  expense  is  less 
than  one-half.  In  some  cities  this  has  been  done 
with  good  success. 

The  Rev.  James  B.  Ely,  D.  D.,  who  has  had  direct 
charge  of  the  Union  Tent  Campaign,  con-  a  plan  of 

ducted  in  Philadelphia  and  in  New  York        '"^' 
City,  and  who  is  regarded  as  an  authority  in  this  work^ 


214  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

submitted  the  following  plan  for  'New  York,  which 
was  substantially  carried  out  last  summer. 

"First.  That  ten  or  more  tents  be  established 
throughout  the  city  in  districts  of  homes,  or  clusters 
of  homes,  where  lots  can  be  secured ;  the  tents  to  tarry 
not  less  than  three  or  four  weeks,  and  all  the  season, 
if  the  interest  warrant  The  tent  to  be  thoroughly 
equipped  in  every  way.  In  foreign  sections  of  the 
city,  where  lots  can  be  secured,  that  a  tent  also  be 
used  and  the  preaching  be  in  the  language  of  the 
people. 

"Second.  In  the  more  congested  sections,  where  no 
lots  sufficiently  large  for  a  tent  can  be  secured,  or 
where  it  may  not  be  best  to  begin  work  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  tent,  a  stereopticon  will  be  used  in  the 
open  air  with  speaker  and  good  music  provided. 

"Third.  On  Sunday  nights,  in  addition  to  the  work 
carried  on  in  the  tents  or  in  the  open  air,  that  an 
attempt  be  made  to  have  one  or  two  of  the  theatres 
open,  in  which  preaching  services  may  be  conducted ; 
if  possible,  the  use  of  some  halls  on  Sunday  nights. 

"Fourth.  That  in  all  tents  established,  children's 
meetings  may  be  conducted  in  the  afternoon  or  early 
evening. 

"All  the  tents  to  be  related  to  the  central  com- 
mittee and  under  its  management.  For  each  tent  or 
Manning  the  place  operated,  the  following  equipment 
*®^*'  will  be  provided: 

"1.  A  Speaker. 

"2.  A  student  assistant,  who  will  give  his  whole 


Aggressive  Evangelism  215 

time  to  the  general  organizing  of  the  work  of  the 
tent,  following  up  results,  distributing  literature, 
advertising  matter,  etc. 

"3.  A  musical  nucleus — organist,  cometist,  pre- 
centor. These  will  be  responsible  for  gathering  a 
volunteer  chorus. 

"4.  A  janitor,  who  will  take  care  of  the  tent. 

"5.  One  worker  for  children,  who  will  be  able  to 
speak  and  conduct  children's  meetings  and  visit  the 
homes  of  the  community." 

Dr.  R.  A.  Torrey,  whose  remarkable  tour  of  the 
world  in  the  interest  of  evangelism,  which  resulted  in 
the  professed  conversion  of  30,000  persons,  and  who 
is  now  conducting  great  evangelistic  campaigns  in 
this  country,  had,  as  Superintendent  of  the  Moody 
Bible  Institute  in  Chicago,  an  unusual  experience  in 
training  men  and  women  for  practical  Christian  serv- 
ice. In  his  book,  "How  to  Work  for  Christ,"  Dr. 
Torrey  gives  the  following  illustrations  with  refer- 
ence to  the  value  of  open-air  meetings : 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  meetings  I  ever  held 
was  just  outside  a  baseball  ground  on  Sunday.  The 
police  were  trying  to  break  up  the  game  ^  "congress 
inside  by  arresting  the  leaders.  We  held  ofnations." 
the  meeting  outside,  just  back  of  the  grand  stand. 
As  there  was  no  game  to  see  inside,  the  people  list- 
ened to  the  singing  and  preaching  of  the  Gospel  out- 
side. On  another  Sunday  we  drove  down  to  a  circus 
and  had  the  most  motley  audience  I  ever  addressed. 
There  were  people  present  from  almost  every  nation 


2i6  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

under  heaven.  The  circus  had  advertised  a  'Con- 
gress of  Nations,'  so  I  had  provided  a  congress  of 
nations  for  my  open-air  meeting.  On  that  day  I  had 
a  Dutchman,  a  Frenchman,  a  Scotchman,  an  English- 
man, an  Irishman,  and  an  American  preach. 

"Sometimes  the  audience  that  you  do  not  see  will 
be  as  large  as  the  one  you  do  see.  You  may  bo 
preaching  to  hundreds  of  people  inside  the  buildings 
that  you  do  not  see  at  all.  I  know  of  a  poor  sick 
woman  being  brought  to  Christ  through  the  preach- 
ing she  heard  on  the  street.  It  was  a  hot  summer 
night,  and  her  window  was  open,  and  the  preaching 
came  through  the  window  and  touched  her  heart  and 
won  her  to  Christ.  Mr.  Sankey  once  sang  a  hymn 
that  was  carried  over  a  mile  away  and  converted  a 
man  that  far  off.  I  have  a  friend  who  occasionally 
uses  in  his  open-air  meetings  a  megaphone  that  car- 
ries his  voice  to  an  immense  distance." 

The  Gospel  in  Song 

Music  in  evangelistic  work  is  almost — if  not  quite 
— as  important  as  the  preaching.     Mr.  Moody  used 
Importanoe  of  i^  ^^  probably  no  other  man  has  done,  and 
muBio.  jjjg  record  would  seem  to  indicate  that, 

properly  employed,  it  is  an  important  factor.  He  em- 
ployed music  to  prepare  the  people  for  his  message,  as 
well  as  to  clinch  the  truth  after  it  had  been  preached. 
Therefore,  he  gave  the  matter  of  hymn  selection  care- 
ful study.  His  soloists  also  were  keenly  alert  as  to 
just  what  to  sing.    Prof.  D.  B.  Towner,  who  was  Mr. 


Aggressive  Evangelism  217 

Moody's  associate,  and  who  to-day  has  charge  of  the 
Music  Department  in  the  Moody  Bible  Institute,  in- 
sists that  the  singing  of  the  people  is  just  as  important 
as  the  solo  work.  Therefore,  it  is  essential  to  have  a 
good  leader.  Probably  it  is  more  important  to  have  a 
man  in  charge  of  the  music  who  can  get  other  people 
to  sing,  than  it  is  to  have  one  who  is  a  good  soloist  but 
who  is  unable  to  do  so.  With  reference  to  the  matter 
of  hymn  selections.  Professor  Towner  says : 

"Having  the  right  sort  of  a  leader  of  the  singing — 
you  still  must  have  a  suitable  collection  of  hymns  and 
tunes.  I  say  hymns  and  tunes,  because  Q^oi  leader 
we  so  often  see  a  good  hymn  coupled  essential' 
with  a  poor  tune,  or  a  good  tune  coupled  with  a  weak 
hymn.  In  either  case  the  result  will  not  be  satis- 
factory. Because  of  this  many  are  opposed  to  the 
introduction  of  new  books  and  songs  in  a  revival. 

"There  are  two  extremes  which  should  be  avoided 
in  choosing  music  for  evangelistic  meetings;  first, 
the  frivolous  light  songs,  and  secondly,  the  too  staid 
and  grave  ones.  I  do  not  say  classical,  for  the  term 
classical,  as  generally  applied  to  music,  is  misleading. 
It  is  a  prevalent  opinion  that  classical  music  is  diffi- 
cult, which  is  as  great  a  mistake  as  it  would  be  to 
measure  hymns  by  their  length,  or  a  picture  by  its 
size.  Many  of  the  very  simple  tunes  are  truly 
classical,  while  much  of  the  difficult  music  is  any- 
thing but  classical.  It  often  requires  time  to  deter- 
mine whether  a  tune  is  a  classic.  I  venture  that  very 
few,  if  any,  would  have  pronounced  'Old  Hundred' 


ai8  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

classic  in  the  year  that  it  was  written,  and  yet 
to-day  no  man  of  any  calibre  would  pronounce  it 
otherwise. 

"While  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  the  selec- 
tion of  music  for  revival  meetings,  yet  one  must  not 
be  hypercritical  about  new  songs.  ...  If  a  tune 
is  well  written,  no  matter  how  simple,  don't  be  afraid 
to  try  it.  If  a  hymn  does  not  teach  error,  direct  or 
implied,  don't  be  afraid  to  give  it  a  trial;  but  if  it 
does,  no  matter  what  its  literary  merit  may  be,  let  it 
alone.  Let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  we  are 
not  opposed  to  the  use  of  old  hymns.  We  believe 
that  the  good  old  hymns  are  the  heritage  of  the 
Church  and  should  be  regarded  as  such,  and  that  they 
should  be  sacredly  kept  and  perpetuated,  and  that 
each  successive  generation  should  be  taught  to  sing 
them  well,  but  to  hold  on  to  these  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  new  ones  would  be  a  calamity.  As  new  men 
come  on  the  scene,  they  embody  the  truth  into  new 
hymns,  and  it  gives  it  a  freshness  just  as  is  the  case 
with  a  new  sermon.  New  tunes  awaken  new  interest 
in  these  themes,  such  as  the  old  ones  do  not.  As  we 
become  familiar  with  a  tune,  it  gradually  loses  its 
power  with  us,  even  though  we  never  become  tired 
of  it.  But  the  new  tune  arrests  the  attention,  and 
gives  the  truth  it  carries  a  chance  to  enter  the  heart. 
Some  people  seem  to  outlive  their  usefulness,  while 
others  never  do.  It  is  just  so  with  songs.  There 
are  those  that  should  be  in  every  selection,  and 
there  are  others  that  seem  to  have  been  embalmed, 


Aggressive  Evangelism  219 

as  it  were,  and  laid  away  in  the  denominational 
books  whicli  are  never  used.  Let  them  rest  in 
peace,  while  others  come  on  and  do  service  in  their 
turn. 

"In  the  great  reformation  under  Martin  Luther  in 
Germany,  the  historic  Huguenot  movement  in 
France,  the  Methodist  revival  in  England  u^gio  i^ 
and  America,  hymns  were  one  of  the  's'^i^ai  history, 
mightiest  instruments  used  of  God  to  spread  and  per- 
petuate the  work.  If  we  are  wise,  we  shall  make 
much  of  holy  song  in  the  great  revival  upon  which 
we  are  now  entering." 

The  Gospel  in  Print 

Literature  has  its  value  in  evangelistic  work,  but 
some  "tracts"  are  so  antiquated  as  to  be  almost  use- 
less. Others  lack  point.  Still  others  are  so  offen- 
sive in  style  as  to  defeat  the  very  end  for  which  they 
were  written. 

There  is  one  thing  about  this  kind  of  work  which 
should  make  it  attractive  to  all.  Anybody  can  do  it. 
Some  get  better  and  more  results  than  value  of 
others,  but  all  can  get  some  results,  luuig  literature. 
There  are  several  important  advantages  in  using 
literature.  The  leaflet  that  you  give  a  man  always 
sticks  to  the  point.  "We  don't  always  do  that. 
Therefore,  it  never  gets  side-tracked  by  a  specious 
argument.  It  never  loses  its  temper.  It  will  be 
read  by  people  who  are  sometimes  ashamed  to  talk 
on  the  subject  that  you  wish  to  present     Frequently 


220  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

it  will  tell  the  story  far  better  than  you  can  put  it 
It  never  gets  "rattled." 

But— don't  call  it  a  "tract."  If  "pamphlet," 
^leaflet,"  or  "booklet"  will  not  do,  invent  another 
name.  To  most  people — especially  those  who  have 
a  prejudice  against  the  Church — "tract"  savors  of 
the  goody-goody. 

You  should  be  familiar  with  the  arguments  or  the 
appeals  which  you  are  making  in  the  printed  page; 
first,  because  you  should  know  just  which  leaflet  is 
needed  for  a  particular  case;  and  second,  because 
you  should  know  just  what  to  use  next  in  order  to 
follow  up  your  previous  effort. 

It  is  helpful,   sometimes,  to  underscore  certain 

words  or  sentences.     This  for  two  reasons.     It  will 

_    ^   .         call  attention  to  the  most  important  parts 

Emphasize  ^  ^ 

striking  sen-  of  the  leaflet,  and  it  catches  the  eye  of  the 
casual  reader  who  may  not  care  to  take 
time  to  read  the  entire  leaflet  These  outstanding 
catchwords  may  hold  his  attention,  and  possibly  in- 
terest him  to  the  extent  that  he  may  want  to  study 
the  entire  pamphlet  If  the  leaflets  are  being  dis- 
tributed in  connection  with  the  Church,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  use  a  rubber  stamp  which  indicates  the  name, 
location,  and  hours  of  service  of  the  church  and  ex- 
tends a  welcome. 

You  should  have  a  system  in  your  plan  in  order 
to  get  the  best  results.  Map  out  a  particular  district 
which  you  will  determine  to  cover,  and  then  work  it. 
This  may  be  done  in  various  ways.    A  house-to-house 


Aggressive  Evangelism  221 

canvass  is  always  effective.  This  method  also  affords 
an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  those 
whom  you  are  trying  to  win.  If  you  are  striving  to 
win  the  men  in  the  community,  first  secure  their 
names  and  addresses.  One  of  the  best  ways  to  do 
this  is  to  copy  the  names  of  voters  from  the  ward  elec- 
tion sheets,  or  else  secure  the  names  and  addresses 
from  the  pay-roll  of  the  factory  near  your  church. 
Then  mail  them  regularly  such  leaflets  as  you  think 
should  be  put  out  Plan  to  get  a  series  of  leaf- 
lets which  have  a  cumulative  value.  A  one-cent 
stamp  will  carry  (unsealed)  two  ounces  of  such 
matter. 

If  this  is  kept  up  for  a  month,  sending  the  leaflets 
weekly,  so  that  they  will  be  received  each  Saturday 
morning,  for  instance,  it  is  bound  to  make  Constant 
an  impression.  There  is  value  in  sending  ^^°^  counts, 
them  at  stated  periods,  rather  than  at  irregular  times. 
It  is  the  steady,  rhythmic,  repeated  blow  in  the  same 
place  that  counts.  If  this  method  is  continued  you 
will  hear  of  something  definite  being  accomplished. 
Somebody  should  become  directly  responsible  for 
such  a  campaign. 

Make  arrangements  with  the  newspaper  carrier 
to  have  the  leaflets  placed  in  the  papers  which  he 
delivers  at  the  homes  or  which  he  sells  on  the  streets. 
No  one  will  mind  receiving  this  extra  reading  mat- 
ter, and  it  may  do  good.  It  is  true  that  some  of 
the  leaflets  may  be  wasted  by  this  method,  but  so  are 
a  good  many  sermons  wasted  because  they  are  not 


222  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

heard.  Enlist  in  your  cause  a  workingman  in  a  par- 
ticular shop  who  will  regularly  distribute  the  printed 
matter.  If  he  is  a  Christian  man,  so  much  the  bet- 
ter. If  he  is  not,  he  may  become  so  interested  in  the 
work  that  he  will  accept  your  viewpoint.  Literature 
distributed  among  men  in  the  shop  is  passed  from 
man  to  man  and  is  usually  very  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed at  the  noon-hour,  as  their  lunches  are  being 
eaten. 

Perhaps  you  can  get  a  trades-unionist  to  put  out 
the  leaflets  among  his  associates  at  the  regular  meet- 
ing of  the  union. 

Leaflets  may  be  used  at  the  close  of  the  sermon, 
or  they  may  be  used  as  advertising  matter  before 
General  "the  sermon  is  preached.     Housekeepers 

method.  j^^y  gjyg  them  to  the  men  who  call  at 

their  back  doors  to  deliver  groceries,  meat,  milk,  ice, 
etc.  Workingmen  who  are  temporarily  employed  in 
your  home  should  also  have  your  interest. 

Sometimes  leaflets  which  counteract  error  may 
be  handed  to  the  audience  as  it  leaves  a  hall  in  which 
error  has  been  preached.  Occasionally,  crisp,  up-to- 
date  leaflets — especially  those  dealing  with  the  work- 
ingman and  the  Church — will  be  printed  by  your 
local  paper. 

Bible  classes  may  be  organized  for  the  distribution 
of  printed  matter.  Men's  clubs  may  have  literature 
committees.  Missionary  and  young  people's  socie- 
ties should  have  literature  departments  which  will 
care  for  the  work. 


Aggressive  Evangelism  223 

There  is  no  reason  why  every  church  in  the  land 
should  not  push  good  literature.  In  some  instances 
men  are  spending  fortunes  for  the  sole  pianpays 

purpose  of  sending  broadcast  the  printed  °*'^®"' 
matter  which  tells  of  something  in  which  they  are 
interested.  Every  political  party  uses  it.  Reformers 
employ  it.  The  Socialists  regard  it  as  their  most 
valuable  propaganda  method.  General  advertisers 
send  out  tons  of  it.  They  do  it  because  they  have 
found  that  it  pays.  If  it  pays  them,  it  will  pay  the 
Church. 

The  Gospel  Advertised 

After  the  meetings  have  been  arranged,  and  all 
the  details  perfected,  it  is  important  that  the  man 
on  the  street  and  the  people  in  the  homes  should  be 
invited.  Therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  advertise. 
During  a  recent  city  evangelistic  campaign  the  fol- 
lowing advertising  methods  were  employed. 

Having  no  constituency  to  begin  with  for  the  gen- 
eral meeting  in  a  large  downtown  hall,  it  became 
necessary  to  bring  together  an  audience  Enlisting 

from  the  hotels  and  boarding  houses  in  and  board- ^ 
the  neighborhood.  Early  in  the  cam-  ing  houses. 
paign  a  list  of  nearly  two  thousand  of  these  was 
made  up,  and  each  week  admission  cards  to  the 
principal  meetings  were  mailed  to  those  in  charge 
of  the  places  of  entertainment,  their  sympathetic  in- 
terest having  been  secured  through  letters  which  were 
addressed  to  them  before  any  cards  were  sent.  About 


224  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

one  million  cards  and  dodgers  were  sent  out  during 
the  campaign.  A  selection  of  fifty  leading  hotels 
was  made  and  in  each  one  a  small,  neatly  framed 
announcement  was  hung  up  in  the  lobby,  inviting 
visitors,  especially,  to  the  meeting. 

A  sign  forty  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide  was  hung 
over  the  front  entrance  of  the  main  hall,  the  reading 
matter  being  changed  each  week.  Muslin  signs  ad- 
vertising certain  features  were  displayed  on  the 
sides  of  each  of  the  Gospel  wagons.  The  dashboards 
of  the  street  cars  were  used  for  the  same  purpose. 
In  the  amusement  columns  of  the  most  widely-read 
newspapers,  advertisements  were  inserted  which 
rivalled  in  size  those  displayed  by  the  popular  shows 
in  town.  Photographs  and  special  "write-ups"  were 
printed  by  the  daily  papers  without  expense,  and 
reports  from  the  meetings  were  given  liberal  space, 
thus  keeping  the  work  before  the  public.  Hun- 
dreds of  large  cards  were  placed  in  store  windows 
and  tacked  on  telegraph  poles.  During  part  of  the 
time  a  wagon,  displaying  two  signs  in  the  shape  of 
a  tent — ten  by  twelve  feet, — was  employed  in  the 
downtown  streets  every  day  between  ten  and  three  to 
advertise  special  features.  Large  muslin  signs  were 
attached  to  the  sides  of  the  tents,  and  bulletin  boards 
on  street  corners  and  near  churches  invited  the 
passers-by.  The  theatrical  billboards  were  utilized. 
Transparencies,  with  the  frames  about  four  feet  wide 
on  the  four  sides  and  three  feet  deep,  the  sides  of 
which  were  covered  with  muslin  and  upon  which 


Aggressive  Evangelism  225 

was  painted  in  black  letters  the  announcement  of 
the  meetings,  were  carried  through  some  of  the  main 
streets  during  the  early  evening,  tallow  candles  on 
the  inside  illuminating  the  painted  matter. 

The  Gospel  Presented  Personally 

Important  as  these  methods  may  be,  there  is  none 
more  important  than  personal  evangelism.  For  this 
is  fundamental,  even  in  the  large,  public  enterprises. 
It  was  Philip's  method.  Philip  brought  Andrew, 
and  Andrew  brought  Peter.  Andrew  never  preached 
a  great  sermon  nor  did  a  "great"  thing,  so  far  as  we 
know.  But  he  was  instrumental  in  saving  his  famous 
brother,  and  that  was  worth  while. 

It  was  Christ's  method.  He  dealt  personally  with 
the  woman  at  the  well.  He  gave  ISTicodemus  the  best 
and  the  greatest  truth  that  He  had.     It  Christ's 

was  to  a  single  man  that  Christ  spoke  method. 

those  wonderful  words :  "For  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life."  If  personal  evangelism  was  not 
beneath  our  Lord,  surely  it  is  not  too  humble  a  task 
for  us. 

If  every  Christian  were  to  give  himself  to  personal 
evangelism,  winning  one  sold  a  year,  more  persons 
would  be  saved  than  are  to-day  being  led  to  Christ 
by  the  preaching  of  all  the  ministers  in  the  world 
combined.  And  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  there 
are  multitudes  of  Christians  who  have  never  men- 


226  Christianity's  Storm  Centre 

tioned  the  subject  of  personal  religion  to  a  single 
soul,  from  the  day  that  they  themselves  were  con- 
verted. "He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise,"  we  are  told 
by  the  prophet  of  old.  And  "they  that  win  many  to 
righteousness  shall  shine  as  the  stars,  forever  and 
ever." 

In  his  little  book,  "Individual  Work  for  Indi- 
viduals," H.  Clay  Trumbull  says: 

"As  a  rule,  the  intensity  of  the  appeal  is  in  in- 
verse proportion  to  the  area  covered ;  in  other  words. 
Expert  testi-  the  greater  your  audience,  the  smaller 
"'"^y*  the  probability  of  your  appeal  coming 

home  to  a  single  heart.  I  once  heard  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  say :  'The  longer  I  live,  the  more  confidence 
I  have  in  those  sermons  preached  where  one  man  is 
the  minister  and  one  man  is  the  congregation ;  where 
there's  no  question  as  to  who  is  meant  when  the 
preacher  says :  "Thou  art  the  man." '  Years  after 
this,  I  heard  the  Rev.  Dr.  IN^evius  speak  similarly 
as  to  the  missionary  field  in  China.  He  said  he 
wanted  no  great  preachers  in  his  field.  That  was 
not  the  sort  of  missionaries  who  were  needed  in 
China.  If  he  would  find  a  man  who  could  talk 
familiarly  face  to  face,  with  another  man,  wherever 
he  met  him,  he  had  missionary  work  for  that  kind 
of  man  in  China.  This  is  the  way  to  do  Christian 
work  in  China,  or  in  America." 

To  win  the  city  for  Christ  requires  a  vision. 
But  God  is  waiting  to  give  that  vision  to  many. 


Aggressive  Evangelism  227 

Was  not  Dwight  L.  Moody  aroused  to  his  great 
task  by  the  words  of  a  famous  English  preacher 
who  told  him  that  God  is  waiting  for  the  man  through 
whom  He  can  show  the  world  what  He         God's  ohai- 

-  .  ,  .  lenge  to  the 

would   accomplish   through   one  who   is       Church, 
wholly  given  up  to  Him  ?    God  still  waits  for  others. 


INDEX 


Adler,  Felix,  146,  160 
Advertising  the  Gktspel,  223 
Agencies  at  work  in  the  slum, 

108 
Aggressive  evangelism,  49, 192 
Alienation      of      vporkingmen 

from  Church,  55 
Amateur  sociologists,  101 
American  Federation  of  Labor, 

68,  69,  74,  86,  98 
American  Society  of  Equity, 

69 
Americanization  of  immigrant 

not  enough,  26 
Anarchism  defined,  31 
Apprentices     and     trades- 

unions,  83 
Arguments  for  child  labor,  145 
Assisi,  Francis  of,  14 
Athletic    features    in    social 

clubs,  122 

Bank,  Penny  Savings,  185 
"Bargain  sales,"  151 
Bamett,  Rev.  S.  A.,  136 
Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  226 
Belfast,  Presbyterians  in,  114 
Benefits,  Sick  and  death,  85 
Bermondsey  Settlement,  Lon- 
don, 140 
Bethnal  Green,  Death  rate  in, 

142 
Bible  Institute,  Los  Angeles, 

113 
Bible  Institute,  Moody,  113 
Bible     Teachers'     Training 

School,  113 
"Bitter  Cry  of  the  Children," 

142 
Bootblacks,  Low  level  of,  157 


Booth,     General    Ballington, 

109 
Booth,  Mrs.  Ballington,  109 
Booth,  William,  15,  108 
Boston,     Death    rate    among 

children  in,  143 
Bounding  one's  field,  44 
Bowery  Mission,  113 
Boys'  Club,  161,  184 
Boys'    Department   of   Y.   M. 

C.  A.,  161 
Brewery  Mission,   113 

Carlyle,  72 

Centres,  Social,  116 

Central  Labor  Unions,  Fra- 
ternal delegates  to^  96 

Chaplain  of  organized  labor, 
97 

Chapman,  J.  Wilbur,  196,  197, 
198,  199 

Character  of  labor  leaders,  76 

Characteristics  of  the  slum, 
104 

Chicago  shop  meeting  cam- 
paign, 201 

Child  labor.  Arguments  for, 
145 

Child  labor  a  century  ago, 
Manchester,  147 

Child  Labor  Committee  of 
New  York,  158 

Child  Labor  Committee,  Na- 
tional, 150,  161 

Child  labor  increasing,  144 

Child  labor  largely  responsi- 
ble for  South  African  de- 
feat,  148 

Child  labor  not  always  cheap« 
146 


229 


230 


Index 


Child  of  the  tenement,  Chances 
for  the,  141 

Child  life.  Trades-unionism 
and,  161 

Child-saving  agencies,  160 

Children,  Beneficent  charities 
for,  160 

Children,  Educational  enter- 
prises for,  160 

Children  in  Boston,  Death 
rate  among,    143 

Children  in  Chicago,  Death 
rate  among,    142 

Children  in  mills  and  facto- 
ries, Number  of,   145 

Children  in  Paris,  Death  rate 
among,   142 

Children  in  the  factory,  144 

Children   in   sweatshops,    152 

Children  of  the  street  and 
religious  organizations,  161 

Children  of  three  classes.  Com- 
parative chances  of,  143 

Children  of  the  streets,  153 

Children  of  the  city,  141 

Children's  hour,  183 

Children  marching  for  Christ, 
194 

Chinese  and  Japanese  immi- 
gration. Why  organized  la- 
bor objects  to,  81 

Christ  and  Socialists,  39 

Christ  and  workingmen,  40 

Christianity  and  social  sys- 
tems, 33 

Christian  Socialism,  36 

Christianity  blazing  labor's 
way,  64 

Christianity  a  motive  power, 
36 

Christian  Science,  16 

Christodora  House,  New  York, 
140 

Church  action  endorsed  by 
highest  labor  authority,  98 

Church  and  home.  Functions 
of,  176 

Church  and  Labor,  Depart- 
ment of,  95 


Church  and  lodge,  121 
Church  and  Socialism,  37 

Church's  appeal,  Workingmen 
responding  to,  42 

Church  cannot  advocate  par- 
ticular social  system,  33 

Church  capturing  the  labor 
movement,  29 

Church's  councils.  Lack  of 
Democracy  in,  58 

Church  doors  closed,  117 

Church  in  the  slum,  114 

Church's  greeting  to  working- 
men,  203 

Church,  Laymen  and  the,  175 

Church  losing  in  the  city,  18 

Church  House,  Madison 
Square  Presbyterian  Church, 
New  York,  114 

Church  "mission"  a  failure, 
Average,  56 

Church's  mistakes,  13 

Church  has  no  monopoly  of 
Christianity,  13 

Church  often  has  too  narrow 
a  vision,  43 

Church  of  England,  14,  15 

Church,  Organized  labor  and 
the,  89 

Church  organizations.  Reso- 
lutions of,  90 

Church  rebuked,  14 

Church  retreating  from  down- 
town districts,  17 

Church  rivalled,  15 

Church  meeting  changed  so- 
cial conditions,  12 

Church  misrepresented,  11 

Church  Settlement  House, 
New  York,   140 

Church  supreme  In  fimdamen- 
tal  elements,  43 

Church  Temperance  Society, 
132 

Church  tested,  17 

Church  to  be  saved  by  the  peo- 
ple, 31 

Churches  sometimes  organized 
where  least  needed,  17 


Index 


231 


City   an   industrial   problem, 

20 
City    churches,    Country-bred 

men  in,  175 
City  classes,  21 
City  no  dumping-ground  for 

incompetents,  52 
City  mission  work  and  social 

settlements,  164 
City  rescue  missions,  133 
City  missions  and  civic  right- 
eousness, 165 
City     mission     work,     Why 

masses    are    indifferent    to, 

164 
City    problems    demand    city 

men,  175 
City  slum,   100 
City    work,    Foreign    mission 

volunteers  for,  51 
Civic  righteousness.  City  mis- 
sions and,  166 
Class-consciousness     in     the 

city,  23 
Classes  in  the  city,  21 
Clerks     alienated     from     the 

Church,  27 
Clerk  class,  26 
Clerks'  union.  Retail,  27 
Clubs    and    evening    classes, 

179 
Club,  Boys',  161,  184 
Club  life  and  spirit,  187 
Clubs,     Political     Campaign, 

Organized  by  Russian  Jews, 

164 
Club  work,   Self-help  in,  186 
Cochran,  William  F.,  130 
Coit,  Stanton,  137 
College  settlement.  New  York, 

137 
Collegiate  Church  idea,  53 
Colonization     schemes    fail. 

Why,  19 
Color   line,   Trades-unions   do 

not  draw,  74 
Common  man's  era,  30 
Common  people  victorious,  30 
Communism  defined,  31 


Comparative  chances  of  chil- 
dren of  three  classes,  143 

Condition  of  poor  in  cities,  22 

Conditions  confronting 
masses.  Not  theories  but, 
60 

Conditions  favoring  the 
Church,  39 

Congregational  Institutional 
Churches,  191 

Converse,  John  H.,  212 

Consecration  of  Socialists,  35 

Co-operating  with  trades- 
unionists.  Farmers,  69 

Cost  of  conducting  tent  meet- 
ings, 213 

Criticism  of  organized  labor. 
Spirit  animating,  72 

Country-bred  men  in  city 
churches,  175 

Country  programme  for  city, 
173 

Daniel,  Annie  S.,  152 
Dawson,  W.  J.,  193 
Day  Nursery,   160 
Deaconess     training     schools, 

113 
Death    rate    among    children 

in  Boston,  143 
Death  rate  among  children  in 

Paris,   142 
Death  rate  in  Bethnal  Green, 

142 
Death  rate  in  Chicago,  142 
Delegate,  The  walking,  76 
Democracy,  Coming,  31 
Democracy  in  people's  organi- 
zations. Spirit  of,  59 
Democracy  in  the  Church,  58 
Denison,  Edward,  135 
Department    of    Church    and 

Labor,  95 
Development  of  the  city,  18 
Development  of  city  a  world 

movement,  18 
Development  of  Socialism,  34 
Dishonesty  in  business,  21 
Dispensary,  Free,  185 


232 


Index 


Doctrinal  preaching  not 
played  out,  193 

Drink  habit,  Seeking  to  mini- 
mize, 129 

Downtown  problems  and  the 
Church,  17 

Drum  corps,  186 

Drysdal,  Chas.  R.,  144 

Early  Church,  Labor  move- 
ment  and   the,    66 

Economic  and  industrial  in- 
fluence in  history,  20 

Educational  enterprises  for 
children,  160 

Effectiveness  of  municipal 
centres,   134 

Election  laws.  Organized  labor 
and,  88 

Ely,  James  B.,  D.  D.,  213 

Emmanuel  Baptist  Church, 
Chicago,   114 

Employer's  opinion  of  trades- 
unionism,  An,  72 

Employers'  opinions  regard- 
ing shop  meetings,  208 

Employers'  walking  delegate, 
73 

Employment  of  incompetent 
men.  Trades-union  does  not 
insist  upon,  74 

Enlisting  workingmen  in  dis- 
tribution of  literature,  221 

Equal  earnings  for  all  work- 
ingmen, Trades-unions  do 
not  demand,  74 

Era  of  common  man,  30 

Ethical  Culture  Society,  16 

Ethical  preaching  scriptural, 
61 

Ethical  value  of  trades-union- 
ism. Moral  and,  84 

Evangelism,  Aggressive,  49, 
192 

Evangelism,  Church's  duty  in, 
49 

Evangelism,  Personal  work  in, 
225 

Evangelist,  "Starring"  an,  196 


Evangelistic  campaigns.  Sim- 
ultaneous,   193 

Evangelistic  Committee,  Pres- 
byterian, 212 

Evangelistic  meetings  i  n 
parks,  211 

Evangelistic  meetings  i  n 
tents,  212 

Evangelistic  meetings  on 
"dead-line,"    196 

Evangelistic  meetings  o  n 
docks,  212 

Evangelistic  movements. 
Music  in  historical,  219 

Evangelistic  work.  Music  in, 
216 

Evangelistic  work.  Literature 
in,  219 

Evangelistic  work,  Settle- 
ments aggressive  in,  140 

Evangelistic  work,  Stereopti- 
eon  in,  212 

Evening  classes.  Clubs  and, 
179 

Everyday  ministration,  47 

Exchange  of  fraternal  dele- 
gates, 97 

Extending  Christ's  kingdom, 
190 

Factors  creating  the  city,  18 

Factory,  Children  in  the, 
144 

Failure  of  settlements,  139 

Farmers  co-operating  with 
trades-unions,    69 

Federation  of  Churches,  Na- 
tional, 90 

Federation  of  Labor,  Amer- 
.  ican,  68,  69,  74,  86,  98 

Federated  Trades  Council, 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  86 

Field,  Bounding  one's,  44 

Flower  missions,  187 

Foreign  mission  volunteers  for 
city  work,  51 

Foreigners  displacing  former 
mission  sympathizers,  164 

Forward  movement  Methodist 


Index 


^33 


Episcopal     Church,     New 

York  City,  114 
Francis  of  Assisi,  14 
Fraternal  delegates  to  central 

labor  unions,  96 
Fraternal  delegates.  Exchange 

of,  97 
Freak  missions,  112 
Free  coffee  for  outdoor  work- 

ingmen,  133 
Free  dispensary,  185 
Free  lunch  served  in  saloons, 

125 
Freeman,  Rev.  James  A.  E., 

130 
Functions    of     Church     and 

home,  176 
Fundamental        elements. 

Church  supreme  in,  43 

Gambling     among    newsboys, 

155 
Gardens,  Roof,  179 
George  Junior  Republic,  160 
Getting  at  facts,  45 
Glorious    traditions    imavail- 

ing,  62 
"Good  cheer"  meetings,  195 
Gospels  distributed  in  shops, 

205 
Gospel  during  summer  season, 

211 
Gospel  for  the  city,  192 
Gospel  in  print,  219 
Gospel  in  slums,  196 
Gospel  in  shops,  201 
Gospel  in  song,  216 
Gospel  in  public  institutions, 

209 
Gospel    presented    personally, 

225 
Greater  Democracy  needed  in 

Church,   55 
Growth  of  Socialism,  34 
Guild,  Neighborhood,  137 

Hadley  Rescue  Hall,  113 
Halls,      Saloon-keepers     have 
monopoly  of,  124 


Hollywood  Inn,  130 

Home  Church  membership 
"rights,"  56 

Hospital  conducted  by  institu- 
tional church,  178 

How  slum  dwellers  fall, 
106 

How  workingmen  have  ad- 
vanced, 65 

Hughes,  Hugh  Price,  114 

Hughes,  Thomas,  135 

Hull  House,  Chicago,  137 

Ice-water  fountains  in  tene- 
ment districts,  133 

Imitating  the  Church,  12 

Immigrants  in  New  England 
cities,  25 

Immigrants  in  the  city,  25 

Immigrants,  Influence  o  f 
trades-unions  on,  88 

Immigration,  Why  organized 
labor  objects  to  Chinese  and 
Japanese,  81 

Impressions  of  society,  23 

Increase  of  Socialism,  29 

Individualistic  salvation  es- 
sential, 192 

Infidelity  not  common  among 
workingmen,  40 

Inn,  Hollywood,  130 

Inn,  Squirrel,  132 

Inspirational  services,  196 

Institutional  church,  163 

Institutional  church.  Defini- 
tion of,  176 

Institutional  churches  most 
successful  spiritually,  190 

Institutional  church.  Why 
workingmen  need,  48 

Institutional  church  work  on 
$100  a  year,  180 

Institutional  work.  Motive  in, 
47 

Institutional  work  not  a  mere 
bait,  47 

Investigating  the  slum,  100 

Investigation  by  Congress  of 
child  labor,  161 


234 


Index 


Japanese  immigration,  Why- 
organized  labor  objects  to, 
81 

Juvenile  Court,  160 

"KaflFee  Klatsch,"  118 
Kindergarten,  160 
Kind  of  men  needed  in  mis- 
sion work,  226 
Kingsley,  Charles,  135 

Labor  authority.  Church  ac- 
tion endorsed  by  highest, 
98 

Labor  guilds,  Paul  and  the, 
66 

Labor  halls  as  social  centres, 
84 

Labor  halls.  Lecture  courses 
in,  84 

Labor  leaders.  Character  of, 
76 

Labor  movement  and  the  early 
Church,  66 

Labor  movement.  The  Church 
capturing  the,  29 

Labor  movement  and  religion, 
29 

Labor  movement  of  the  world, 
29 

Labor  movement's  signifi- 
cance, 28 

Labor  movement.  What  con- 
stitutes the,  29 

Labor  papers,  A  press  bureau 
for,  95 

Labor  press,  95 

Labor  press  and  syndicate 
articles,  41 

Labor  press.  Comments  of,  93 

Labor  press.  Changed  attitude 
of  the,  toward  the  Church, 
42 

Labor  question  not  compre- 
hended in  labor  union,  29 

Labor-saving  machinery,  19 

Labor  Sunday,  93 

Labor  Sunday,  Results  of  ob- 
serving, 93 


Labor's  way  blazed  by  Chris- 
tianity, 64 
Labor  troubles.  Creating,  64 
Labor   union   officials   in   the 

Church,  76 
Labor    union    not    the    labor 

question,  29 
Labor    unions    are    unincor- 
porated. Reason  why,  80 
Labor    unions    responding    to 

Church's  appeal,  94 
Lack  of  democracy  in  Church's 

councils,  58 
Lathers'  International  Union, 

86 
Laymen  and  the  Church,  175 
Leaders    needed.    High-grade, 

50 
Lecture  courses  in  labor  halls, 

84 
Leighton  Hall,  London,  137 
Liberty,  Restriction  of,  81 
Life   of   workingmen's   wives, 

Monotony  in,  118 
Limitation  of  output,  82 
Lindsay,  Samuel  McCune,  150 
Literature      in      evangelistic 

work,  219 
Literature  in  the  Church,  222 
Loan  Association,  178 
Lodges  as  social  centres,  119 
Lodges  caring  for  the  sick  and 

helpless,  120 
Lodges,  Membership  of,  119 
Lodges,  Substitutes  for,  121 
Lodges,  The  Church  and,  121 
Lodges  in  smaller  cities  and 

towns,  Strength  of,  119 
"Long  Day,"  author,  quoted, 

167 
Los  Angeles  Bible   Institute, 

113 
Losses  of  the  Church  in  the 

city,  17 
Low  level  of  bootblacks,  157 
Lunch  wagons  on  streets,  132 
Luther,  14 

Machinery,  Trades-union  not 


Index 


^3S 


antagonistic  to  labor-saving, 
75 
Machinist  as  Y.  M.  C.  A.  di- 
rector, 59 
MacVeagh,  Franklin,  72 
Manchester  child  labor  a  cen- 
tury ago,  147 
Mansfield  House,  140 
Markham    Memorial    Presby- 
terian   Church,    St.    Louis, 
191 
Mass  Meetings,  Men's,  195 
Masses  waiting  for  action  by 

the  Church,  62 
Mastering  one's  situation,  44 
Maurice,    Frederick    C.    Den- 

nison,   135 
McAuley,  Jerry,  113 
Meaning  of  "Scab,"  70 
Meetings    in    slums.    Definite 
results       of       evangelistic, 
200 
Membership  of  lodges,  119 
Men's  mass  meetings,  195 
Men    more     important    than 

methods,  50 
Men    more     important    than 

money,  51 
Message  not  in  lecture  but  in 

life,  136 
Messenger  boys'  temptations, 

158 
Methods  directing  the  Church, 

43 
Methods  of  advertising  evan- 
gelistic meetings,  223 
Methods  of  work,   Suggested, 

90 
Methodist  Church,  Wesleyan, 

14,  15 
Methodist  Episcopal   Church, 
New    York    City,    Forward 
movement  in,   114 
Meyer,  F.  B.,  114 
Midnight  meetings,  194 
Midnight  parades,  194 
Mine    Workers    of    America, 

United,  88 
Ministers     and     workingmen 


uniting  for  social  reform, 
97 

Ministers'  salaries  in  mission 
fields,  53 

Ministers  decline  to  discuss 
prevention  of  tuberculosis, 
62 

Ministration,  Everyday,  47 

Minneapolis  Union  Mission, 
113 

Misrepresenting  the  Church, 
11 

Mission  fields.  Ministers' 
salaries  in,  53 

Mission  fields,  Theological 
students  in,  53 

Mission  Society,  Training 
School,  New  York,  113 

Mission  work.  Kind  of  men 
needed  in,   226 

Mission  workers.  Training 
school  for,  113 

Missionary  Society,  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  113 

Missionary  Training  School, 
Cleveland,  113 

Mistakes  of  the  Church,  12 

Monotony  in  lives  of  working- 
men's  wives,  118 

Montgomery,  Caroline  Wil- 
liamson, 137 

Moody  Bible  Institute,  113 

Moody,  D.  L.,  193,  226 

Moral  and  ethical  value  of 
trades-unionism,  84 

Moral  aspects  of  social  sys- 
tems, 32 

Motive  in  institutional  work, 
47 

Moving  the  city  for  God, 
193 

Mimicipal  centres.  Effective- 
ness of,  134 

Music  in  evangelistic  work, 
216 

Music  in  historical  evangel- 
istic movements,  219 

Musical  talent  employed,   187 

Municipal  centres,  134 


236 


Index 


National  Child  Labor  Com- 
mittee, 150 

National  Consumers'  League, 
161 

National  Federation  of 
Churches,  90 

Neighborhood  Guild,  137 

Nevius,  Rev.  Dr.,  226 

Newsboys,  Gambling  among, 
155 

Newsboys'  nicknames,  155 

Newsboys'  work  based  upon 
excitement,  154 

Non-Churchmen  in  philan- 
thropic and  civic  move- 
ments, 13 

Non-union  man,  81 

Non-unionists  not  necessarily 
antagonistic  to  organized 
labor,  70 

Noonday   shop   meetings,   201 

Noonday  theatre  meetings, 
195 

Occupations,  Some  street,  153 

Officials  in  the  Church,  Labor 
union,   78 

Open-air  preaching,  215 

Open  and  Institutional  Church 
League,  Platform  of,  176 

Opinions  of  ancient  philoso- 
phers,  64 

Opinions  of  ministers  con- 
cerning value  of  shop  meet- 
ings, 206 

Organized  labor  and  election 
laws,   88 

Organized  labor  and  tem- 
perance,   85 

Organized  labor  and  the 
Church,  89 

Organized  labor,  Chaplain  of, 
97 

Organized  labor  objects  to 
Chinese  and  Japanese  im- 
migration, 81 

Organized  labor,  Non-unionists 
not  necessarily  antagonistic 
to,  70 


Organized  labor,  Strength  of, 

67 
Organized  labor's  defence,  73 
Oxford  House,  London,  140 

Pacific   Garden    Mission,    133 

Parades,  Midnight,    194 

Parish  House,  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's, 178 

Park  evangelistic  meetings, 
211 

Paul  and  the  Labor  Guilds, 
67 

Penny  Savings  Bank,  185 

People's  organizations,  Spirit 
of  democracy  in,  59 

People  to  save  the  Church, 
31 

People's  Refreshment  House 
Association,    128 

Permanent  institutions, 
Trades-unions,  71 

Personal  service  in  securing 
democratic  conditions,  57 

Personal  work  in  evangelism, 
225 

Philanthropic  and  civic  move- 
ments by  non-Churchmen, 
13 

Piecework,  83 

Platform  of  Open  and  Insti- 
tutional Church  League, 
176 

Playfair,  Dr.,   144 

Political  campaign  clubs  or- 
ganized by  Russian  Jews, 
164 

Politicians  and  the  saloons, 
124 

Poole,  Ernest,   154,  156 

Poor  of  the  city,  11 

Population  in  cities,  18 

Poverty  in  the  slum,  106 

Poverty  of  city  poor  not  hope- 
less,  163 

Poverty's  prescribed  penalty, 
142 

Preaching  not  played  out. 
Doctrinal,  193 


Index 


237 


Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
U.  S.  A.,  92 

Presbyterian  evangelistic  com- 
mittee, 212 

Presbyterians  in  Belfast,  114 

Press  biireau  for  labor  papers, 
95 

Pressing  social  needs,  166 

Principles  of  Jesus  Christ  ap- 
plied, 60 

Prophet,  The  coming,  63 

Prophetic  spirit  needed,  62 

Proportionate  growth  of 
cities,  18 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
91 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
in   New  York,    190 

Public  institutions,  Grospel  in, 
209 

Public  schools.  Influence  of, 
160 

Quotation  from  New  York 
Bun,  101 

Rebuking  the  Church,  14 

Regularly  organized  social- 
ized Church  needed,  166 

Refreshment  House  Associa- 
tion, People's,  128 

Religion  and  the  labor  move- 
ment, 29 

Religious  organizations  and 
the  children  of  the  street, 
161 

Religious  problem.  Social 
question  a,  42 

Religious  work  in  social 
settlement,    140 

Remarkable  temperance  reso- 
lution, 86 

Rescue  Hall,  Hadley,  113 

Resolutions  of  National 
Church  organizations,  90 

Restriction  of   liberty,   81 

Riis,  Jacob,   161 

Rivals  of  the  Church,  15 


Robert  Browning  Settlement, 

140 
Roof  gardens,  179 
Rules    governing    workers    in 

evangelistic  meetings,  210 

Saloon  a  factor  in  developing 
the  slum,   104 

Saloon  as  a  social  centre,  123, 
124 

Saloon  attractions,  123 

Saloon-keepers  have  monopoly 
of  halls,  124 

Saloon-keepers'  personal  influ- 
ence, Secret  of,   125 

Saloon,  Politicians  and  the, 
124 

Saloon,  Substitutes  for  the, 
127 

Saloons,  Free  limch  served  in, 
125 

Salvation  Army,   15,  108 

Salvation  Army,  Statistics  of, 
108 

Salvation  Army  succeeds.  Why 
the.  111 

Samuel  Gompers  and  tem- 
perance, 86 

Savonarola,   14 

Savings  Bank,  Penny,  185 

"Scab,"   Meaning   of,    70 

School-teachers  and  labor  or- 
ganizations, 27 

Second  Presbyterian  Church, 
Pittsburgh,  114 

Secret  of  saloon-keepers'  per- 
sonal influence,  125 

Seeking  to  minimize  drinking 
habit,   129 

Segregation,  The  policy  of, 
106 

Self-help  in  club  work,  186 

Settlements  aggressive  in 
evangelistic  work,    140 

Settlements   fail.   Where,    139 

Shop  campaign  statistics, 
41 

Shop  meeting  campaign, 
Chicago,  201 


238 


Index 


Shop  meeting  campaign,  Re- 
sults of,  205 

Shop  meetings,  Employers' 
opinions  of,  208 

Shop  meetings,  Opinions  of 
ministers  concerning,  206 

Shop  meetings,  Why  working- 
men  attend,  208 

Shop  work,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  201 

Shops,  Gospel  in,  201 

Sick  and  death  benefits,  85 

Sick  and  helpless.  Lodges  car- 
ing for,  120 

Significance  of  the  labor 
movement,  28 

Simultaneous  evangelistic 
campaigns,  193 

Six  hundred  dollars  for  six- 
thousand-doUar  task,  51 

"Skinny"  favorite  newsboy 
nickname,  155 

Slum,  Agencies  at  work  in 
the,  108 

Slum,  Characteristics  of,  104 

Slum,  Church  in,  114 

Slum  dwellers  fall.  How,  106 

Slum,  Grospel  in,  196 

Slum,  Investigating  the,  100 

Slum,  Poverty  in,  106 

Slum,  Tenement  district  not 
always  a,  104 

Slum,  The  city,  100 

Slum,  The  saloon  a  factor  in 
developing,  104 

Slumming  a  fad,  103 

"Slumming  parties,"  100 

Smith,  Gypsy,  193 

Social  activity  typified,  178 

Social  centre,  Saloon  as  a, 
123 

Social  centres,  116 

Social  centres,  Labor  halls  as, 
84 

Social  centres.  Lodges  as,  119 

Social  clubs  as  social  centres, 
122 

Social  clubs.  Athletic  features 
in,  122 

Social  clubs.  Members  of,  123 


Social     conditions     changing, 

163 
Social      conditions     met     by 

Church,   12 
Social  effort  rewarded,  189 
Social  leaders  required,  172 
Social     message     imperative, 

Clearer,  60 
Social  ministry  needed,  168 
Social    question    a    religious 

problem,  42 
Social  reform,  Ministers  and 

workingmen     uniting     for, 

97 
Social   service   defined,    176 
Social  settlements,  135 
Social    settlements,    Aim    of, 

137 
Social  settlements,  City  mis- 
sion work  and,  164 
Social    settlements.    Religious 

work  in,  140 
Social   settlements,  Rich  and 

poor   benefited   in,   138 
Social  service  defined,  176 
Social  spirit,  The,  172 
Social    systems    and    morals, 

32 
Social      systems      and      the 

Church,  33 
Social   unrest   in  the   profes- 
sions, 27 
Social  unrest  throughout  the 

world,  30 
Socialism,  Aggressive,  35 
Socialism  and  the  Church,  37 
Socialism  defined,   31 
Socialism  developing,  24 
Socialism  does  not  monopolize 

Christianity,  36 
Socialism     greatest     political 

and  economic  force  among 

masses  to-day,  34 
Socialism,  Growth  of,  34 
Socialism  increasing,  29 
Socialism  substituted  for  the 

Church,  34 
Socialist  consecration,  35 
Socialists'  People's  Palace,  39 


Index 


^39 


Socialists'  reverence  for  Jesus 
Christ,  39 

Socialized  Church  needed,  166 

Society  in  the  city,  23 

Society  of  Equity,  American, 
69 

Sociological  study,  43 

Sociological  study  in  theo- 
logical seminaries,  60 

Sociologists,  Amateur,  101 

Squirrel  Inn,   132 

Stereopticon  in  evangelistic 
work,  212 

Street  affords  no  useful  train- 
ing, 156 

Street  occupations,   153 

Street  receptions,  116 

Strong,  Josiah,  176 

St.  Bartholomew's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  178 

St.  Margaret's  House,  140 

"Starring"  an  evangelist,  196 

Substitutes  for  lodges,  121 

Substitutes  for  the  saloon,  127 

"Subway  Tavern,"  127 

Successful  rescue  missions, 
113 

Suggested  methods  of  work, 
90 

Summer  season  evangelistic 
methods,  211 

Syndicate  articles  for  labor 
press,  41 

System  in  distribution  of 
literature,  220 

Talented  leaders.  Taking  care 
of,   53 

Tavern,  "Subway,"  127 

Temperance,  Organized  labor 
and,  85 

Temperance  resolution,  Re- 
markable, 86 

Temperance,  Samuel  Gompers 
and,  86 

Temperance  Society,  Church, 
132 

Tenement  child.  Chances  for 
the,  141 


Tenement  district  not  always 
a  slum,  104 

Tenement-house  district.  Ice- 
water  fountains  in,   133 

Tenement-house  protest,  101 

Tenements  in  small  cities  im- 
sanitary,  169 

Tent  campaign,  Union,  213 

Tent,  Evangelistic  meeting  in, 
212 

Tent  meetings,  Cost  of  con- 
ducting, 212 

Testing  the  Church,  17 

Theatre  meetings,   194 

Theological  seminary  courses, 
172 

Theological  seminaries.  Socio- 
logical study  in,  60 

Theological  students  in  mis- 
sion fields,  53 

Three  great  social  systems,  31 

Three-year-old  worker,  153 

Tollman,  in  the  Outlook, 
William  H.,  128 

Torrey,  R.  A.,  193 

Towner,  D.  B.,  216 

Trades -union  annex  to  the 
saloon,  87 

Trades-imion  does  not  an- 
tagonize labor-saving  ma- 
chinery, 75 

Trades-imion  does  not  demand 
equal  earnings  for  all  work- 
men, 74 

Trades-union  does  not  draw 
the  color  line,  74 

Trades-union  does  not  insist 
upon  the  employment  of  in- 
competent men,  74 

Trades-union  unsatisfactory 
substitute  for  the  Church, 
89 

Trades -unionism,  64 

Trades-unionism,  Moral  and 
ethical  value  of,  84 

Trades-unionists  of  the  world, 
29 

Trades-unions  and  appren- 
tices, 83 


240 


Index 


Trades-unions  and  child  life, 
83 

Trades-unions  permanent  in- 
stitutions, 71 

Traditions  unavailing.  Glori- 
ous, 62 

Training  School,  Bible  Teach- 
ers', 113 

Training  school.  New  York 
City   Mission    Society,    113 

Training  schools.  Deaconess, 
113 

Training  schools  for  mission 
workers,  113 

Transportation  facilities  and 
citizenship,  19 

Trials  of  women  workers,  28 

Trumbull,  H.  Clay,  226 

Typographical  Union,  85 

Union   Mission,   Minneapolis, 

113 
Union    Rescue    Mission,    Los 

Angeles,  113 
Union  tent  campaigns,  213 
Unionism,  Trades,  64 
United     Mine     Workers     of 

America,  88 
Unorganized    labor,    Relation 

of  trades-unionism  to,  69 
Unscrupulous     men     in     the 

Church,  55 

Van  Dyke,  Henry,  203 
Vicious    element    in    trades- 

imionism,  79 
Victory  of  Church,  11 
Victory  of  common  people,  30 
Vision,  Church  often  has  too 

narrow  a,  43 
Vital  statistics  of  Erfurt,  144 
Volunteers     in     institutional 

church  work,  182 
Volunteers    of    America,    109 

Walking  delegate,  76 
Walking    delegate,    The    em- 
ployer's, 73 


Water  Street  Mission,  113 

Wesley,  John,  14 

Wesleyan  Methodist  Church, 
14,  15 

Wesleyan  Methodist  Church 
of  London,  113 

Wicliffe,  14 

Women  workers'  trials,  28 

Work  of  little  children  in 
sweat-shops,    152 

Workers'  awakening,  24 

Workingman  attracted  to 
church  which  he  helps  gov- 
ern,  56 

"Workingmen  and  the 
Church"  no  longer  a  prob- 
lem, 99 

Workingmen  cheering  Christ's 
name,  40 

Workingmen  have  advanced, 
How,  65 

Workingmen  naturally  re- 
ligious, 40 

Workingmen  not  infidel, 
40 

Workingmen,  Church's  greet- 
ing to,  203 

Workingmen,  Free  coffee  for 
outdoor,  133 

Workingmen  need  institu- 
tional church,  48 

Workingmen  recognize  social 
question  as  religious  prob- 
lem, 42 

Workingmen  responding  to 
the  Church's  appeal,  42 

Wrong  motive  sometimes 
alienates  workingmen,  55 

Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, 133 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  shop  work, 
201 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Boys'  Depart- 
ment of,  161 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  director.  Machinist 
as,  59 

Young,  S.  Edward,  211 


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